but does it align with the atmosphere platform needs?

You are not the only one who feels this way. I have read similar thoughts many times. The Steemit team has a difficult task to develop the platform. Time has proven that one of the most effective ways to stimulate activity is to hold contests. I think you will agree that in terms of content quality, the current contest is better than the previous ones.

At the same time, bloggers who consistently stick to their content line and do not participate in contests feel somewhat abandoned. Why so? The opportunity to earn bigger rewards is what attracts all of the community's attention to the Steemit Engagement Challenge. People need to spend a lot of time to write a post that can claim to win. In addition, their attention is mainly focused on the posts of other participants and everything related to the SEC. So yes, you are indeed getting fewer readers.

Does this mean we should stop writing?

Once there was a gold rush. As soon as there were rumors that gold had been found somewhere, all the gold seekers rushed there. What would happen if everyone else stopped working? Schools, factories would close, the economy would collapse and life would stop. Steemit would be a lot poorer if only those who participated in the Steemit Engagement Challenge remained here. Steemit is great for its diversity and for giving you the opportunity to write what you want. It is worth using this opportunity.

Yes, your posts deserve more rewards than they are getting. But this is the fault of all of us, because we are not able to ensure that our accounts are strong enough to effectively support each other.

I can also give an example of a small Ukrainian community. The world is collapsing around them, but they continue to systematically write their diaries. And no contests, rockets or drones can stop this 😄