I genuinely feel that steem has just been unfortunate in the bear market. A lot of its value is/was based on the social media halo surrounding the coin. When the bull run was in full effect people flocked here in droves to earn free crypto. With the bear they have left/aren't coming resulting in a exacerbating push down on top of the general crypto nose dive.

I don't know about your crypto portfolio but mine is down across the board and Steem is a survivor compared to some. Several of my coins have been delisted and they were ones that most likely weren't scams. Just couldn't take the bear.

Ooft, I am rambling now but in essence what I am trying to say is that when the market turns, which it will, then the rewards you make will be the icing on the cake as well as seeing your investment rise. When coins are valued in mere cents their rise can be quite astronomical.

And it's not too be forgotten that the more mid sized individuals there are the better for all in the distribution of rewards.

So I would go for it. But... I completely understand the ideas behind not doing it too :0)