When you start trading, you do it with a clear goal: to make money, to achieve that financial independence we all dream of. At first, your focus is on learning, analyzing the markets, identifying opportunities that allow you to grow your capital. But then, social media gets in your way. You begin to follow other traders, to share your own trades, your analyses, your wins, and your mistakes. Without even realizing it, you shift from being a market analyst to a content creator. You trade the time you used to spend studying charts and strategies for time spent creating posts, videos, and comments.

This is where many traders fall into a dangerous trap: they trade the chance to make money for the need to be seen, to get "likes," followers, and comments. Without realizing it, you start seeking external validation more than profitability in your trades. Trading, which was once an exercise in independence, turns into a quest for approval. You go from relying on yourself and your relationship with the market, to relying on what others think of you and your results.

What many don’t understand is that the market, with all its volatility and uncertainty, offers something that no social network or online community can give you: freedom. The market doesn’t judge you, it doesn’t care how many followers you have, how many likes you get, or whether your last trade was a success or not. In the market, it’s you against the odds. You are the one making decisions, and ultimately, you are responsible for your success or failure. That’s real freedom—the ability to make a living without depending on the opinions of others, without being tied to empty metrics like follower counts or engagement on your posts.

So, as a trader, you must choose: do you prefer the notoriety that social media offers, or the freedom that the market gives you? The former is addictive but pulls you away from your true goal. The latter is challenging, but it's the only path to real independence. There’s no right answer for everyone, but if what brought you to trading was the possibility of being free, remember that this freedom will never come from the approval of others—it will come from your ability to navigate the market with confidence.

The choice is yours.