Using engagement pods (Instagram)

In looking to grow my own Instagram account (my personal one) I've seen lots of threads and options talking about engagement pods on Instagram. Basically, little groups of people who agree to like and comment on each-others posts to beat that algorithm. However, I've been a part of some and for me it's grown into a mini-toxic community obsessed with vanity metrics versus actual engagement with their audience. 

I think it might work in the short-run but over time, it feels a cheap way of growing your account versus actually doing it yourself through hard work. That's me though! How do you feel about engagement pods? Have you used them yourselves?