Hate to say it but that is the attitude the allows them to operate.. It's a defeatist attitude to acquiesce that you only get ahead through their use. They are absolutely not a prerequisite for success and in the end they don't pay that well or if at all anyway.. Check around lots of tests have been done and in the end its actually a financial negative in most instances. I have never used a bot, had no other notable social media presence and started here from zero.. So to say they are needed is complete fallacy.. I do what I do by networking, responding to comments and creating good content.. You can track my progress here, or click the gif in the article for the parent article that explains my premise.. https://steemit.com/steemit/@pawsdog/steemit-quest-for-one-million-time-required-to-build-a-usd1-000-000-00-steemit-account-day-34-results