(fallen london stamps by I totally understand the use cases for Bsky/Tumblr/etc - if you want to meet a Lot of people and Promote Your Work then unfortunately it's hard to argue with the sheer volume that the corporate hellsites provide. But there are reasons to use social media besides that, and sites that exist outside of the corporate ones - and ways of meeting people outside of social media, for that matter.
if you genuinely don't want to use corporate social media (and don't have capitalism holding a gun to your head to Promote Your Work), then my very strong suggestion is that you don't. do Not give your time to places that you hate being on!!! sign up for another small site - it may not be a forever home, but you might still make friendships that you can carry forward elsewhere. join forums, Discords (yes I know, it's also corporate but it's not as brain-poisoning as social media atm), spaces centered around discussions of your interests, whether that's fiber arts, witchcraft, or gamedev. play some multiplayer games, whether that's a free MMO or a virtual petsite. (my main friendgroup to this day all met through a virtual petsite!!!)
and, if it's at all a possibility for you (it isn't for everyone, and I'm truly sorry) try to connect with folks in your physical area. with proper precautions, of course - COVID is still a thing. but see if there's any furry/queer/etc meetups, any knitting circles, any indie bookstores to visit, any volunteer stuff you can do. you'll be surprised at how much internet slapfighting just... doesn't Matter in the wider scheme of things. it's truly freeing.
above all, remember that options exist, and try to be mindful about where you spend your time and how it feels. if there's anything that you take away from using Cohost... well, okay, there's a lot of things. but among them? if you really enjoyed using this site, then don't settle for less elsewhere. remember what it's like to be happy (or at the very least, not Constantly Upset) online.