I, too, find it hard to justify the time I spend writing and reading on Medium. Yet, I value the people I have connected with. I only wish it was easier to find them without having to browse for so long. I once quit completely but missed them so much that I returned. I have a better reason now—It keeps me writing and photographing. I collect my best stuff and self-publish it on Amazon. I make almost zilch doing that (ditto from Medium), but I am preserving it for my progeny~ It is something tangible, while Medium is not.