Steemit is perhaps the most social media that I've ever seen.
In the sense that success on the site is directly proportional to your networking ability.
More precisely, to the value of the users you've networked with.
Find whales or witnesses whose philosophies appeal to you, whose conduct you approve, and whose interests most align with yours.
Endorse them, talk to them, if you can, produce content which pleases them.
Foster, develop and protect these social connections with influential users.
Create a situation of mutual benefit.
Rather than being mindlessly ingratiating, offer true value to the influential.
Consider what the influential wants: what pleases him/her? what are his/her sensibilities? what does he/her dislike? how can I be of use to him/her?
You will then find that your posts earn far more - particularly relative to the time you invest. That you have greater influence on the governance of the ecosystem. And that you are far less frustrated.
Moreover, this auto-curates content, what is considered valuable, is what an influential group of people consider valuable (in a political system where influence is uniformly distributed, that would be the majority), therefore, by definition, you will be producing value.