To me Steemit isn't a get rich quick plan, but rather a way to build a better future using time I would otherwise be wasting.

My thoughts exactly. If I weren't on Steem, I'd be on Facebook discussing stuff with my friends and posting photos, that is, doing exactly the same as here, the main differences being that here, I get paid for everything and nobody is (currently) data mining every little thing I do or say. The choice between fattening my own wallet vs. Zuckerberg's is not really a choice at all.