Brilliant article so cheesed off with the hoop jumping and lack of authenticity. I hate the reels and boiling down the creative process into 30 second snap shots because humans can’t apparently appreciate static images any more. It’s all a bit ludicrous. Not sure what the other options are. Despise AI and the apathy many have about AI (I think it’s going to be our downfall I honestly do). I can’t understand supporting something that steals our ideas and then ultimately rejects humans as creators of art/writing. Why?
Thanks for sharing. I feel the same. What once was an avenue for creativity and expression has become dull and unfulfilling in many ways, feeling more like another mask to wear, another job to do, another echo in the loneliness chamber. Thanks for sharing. And I honestly feel similarly about notes... I don't love it. I'd prefer it be easier on Substack to find people's longer form posts than to be inundated with short notes that are easy to smash like on... I find that they all say the same thing or even rip off content from elsewhere rather than express genuine thoughts or personality quirks.
Outstanding essay! As I was reading this, I was thinking that maybe we just need to go back to things like writing letters or sending postcards to each other. When my mom went into assisted living for dementia/memory care, I was devastated because what was in my mom’s head, those many years of family history, the advice, and just sharing mom stuff, evaporated into thin air. I mailed her daily postcards to try to help her stay connected. It actually helped, until her memory faded away. But I will never underestimate the value of those hand written words over anything that social media could ever do.
Personally, for me it sort of is. I deleted my Twitter the second the news broke that Elon bought it back in ‘22. On New Year’s Day this year, I went ahead and deleted Meta’s Instagram and Facebook and TikTok too, a platform that I only used for a few months but got sucked in so fast that felt scary. I am left now with YouTube that I use to watch some in-depth video essays and keep updated on culture at large, and I also kept my Pinterest since it does not drown me as I use it sparely. I hate LinkedIn but felt obliged to keep it, and I guess Substack is a Social Media that I’ve adopted last month but trying to be very intentional and mindful about my use. I feel incredibly lighter after limiting my access to Social Media, I knew it was not good for my mental health but now I can be sure. I have no intentions of ever going back, and I’m making conscious efforts of living in the real world, it’s still so hard to “detach” from my phone, but it has only been a few months since deleting them so I’m giving myself grace.
Great article! The way these platforms started out feeling like home—where you’d actually find your people—and now feel more like noise and pressure... yeah, totally. I’ve been in that same weird space of gratitude (because social media did open doors) mixed with frustration over what it’s turned into.
Honestly, this feels like the shift a lot of us are making: less chasing, more creating stuff that actually matters to us. Thanks for writing this.
I agree but oh i wish there was another place to "connect". Every time a new app appears, we all go there but nobody wants to follow, everyone wants new followers only. I love substack, but notes are like IG, you only see the popular ones ... and then i feel it doesnt matter where i post stuff, it has 0 reach. At least before IG etc you could find blogs using just google, i doubt if you can find substacks there ... can you? I really dont know what to do.
Fantastic article. I definitely see this trajectory occurring real-time. I do, however, have a question for you regarding social media for artists. Do you think different algorithms would make it more appealing for artists to use social media? If connecting with brands was direct, or even anonymous, where likes or engagement did not matter?
All of thisss. I wish there was a way to get rid of Substack notes! I’m soooo tired of everyone posting the typical “follow for follow” & whatnot. I don’t want just a bunch of numbers with maybe 5% actually reading what I write. I want to grow organically & have a group of people who actually care abt my words. Soooo tired of everything becoming a form of social media 😭
I just realised, the thing about "social media" nowadays is that I constantly have the feeling that I am in competition with everyone else on the apps. In Instagram and also here on Substack to some extent, I feel like there are so incredibly many people online, and thus I, if I write too, am in competition for audience and for attention in general with everyone else.
This feeling is not present when running a blog or a homepage. You still know there are a bazillion other blogs and homepages out there, but it still doesn't feel like you compete with them.
The social media has in reality become competitive media. It encourages competition and comparisons - which is not healthy in general.
Brilliant article so cheesed off with the hoop jumping and lack of authenticity. I hate the reels and boiling down the creative process into 30 second snap shots because humans can’t apparently appreciate static images any more. It’s all a bit ludicrous. Not sure what the other options are. Despise AI and the apathy many have about AI (I think it’s going to be our downfall I honestly do). I can’t understand supporting something that steals our ideas and then ultimately rejects humans as creators of art/writing. Why?
A great reflection on something I can resonate with a lot. Thank you for writing this.
I can absolutely relate to this. Very well written!
Thanks for sharing. I feel the same. What once was an avenue for creativity and expression has become dull and unfulfilling in many ways, feeling more like another mask to wear, another job to do, another echo in the loneliness chamber. Thanks for sharing. And I honestly feel similarly about notes... I don't love it. I'd prefer it be easier on Substack to find people's longer form posts than to be inundated with short notes that are easy to smash like on... I find that they all say the same thing or even rip off content from elsewhere rather than express genuine thoughts or personality quirks.
Outstanding essay! As I was reading this, I was thinking that maybe we just need to go back to things like writing letters or sending postcards to each other. When my mom went into assisted living for dementia/memory care, I was devastated because what was in my mom’s head, those many years of family history, the advice, and just sharing mom stuff, evaporated into thin air. I mailed her daily postcards to try to help her stay connected. It actually helped, until her memory faded away. But I will never underestimate the value of those hand written words over anything that social media could ever do.
Personally, for me it sort of is. I deleted my Twitter the second the news broke that Elon bought it back in ‘22. On New Year’s Day this year, I went ahead and deleted Meta’s Instagram and Facebook and TikTok too, a platform that I only used for a few months but got sucked in so fast that felt scary. I am left now with YouTube that I use to watch some in-depth video essays and keep updated on culture at large, and I also kept my Pinterest since it does not drown me as I use it sparely. I hate LinkedIn but felt obliged to keep it, and I guess Substack is a Social Media that I’ve adopted last month but trying to be very intentional and mindful about my use. I feel incredibly lighter after limiting my access to Social Media, I knew it was not good for my mental health but now I can be sure. I have no intentions of ever going back, and I’m making conscious efforts of living in the real world, it’s still so hard to “detach” from my phone, but it has only been a few months since deleting them so I’m giving myself grace.
Great article! The way these platforms started out feeling like home—where you’d actually find your people—and now feel more like noise and pressure... yeah, totally. I’ve been in that same weird space of gratitude (because social media did open doors) mixed with frustration over what it’s turned into.
Honestly, this feels like the shift a lot of us are making: less chasing, more creating stuff that actually matters to us. Thanks for writing this.
I agree but oh i wish there was another place to "connect". Every time a new app appears, we all go there but nobody wants to follow, everyone wants new followers only. I love substack, but notes are like IG, you only see the popular ones ... and then i feel it doesnt matter where i post stuff, it has 0 reach. At least before IG etc you could find blogs using just google, i doubt if you can find substacks there ... can you? I really dont know what to do.
Fantastic article. I definitely see this trajectory occurring real-time. I do, however, have a question for you regarding social media for artists. Do you think different algorithms would make it more appealing for artists to use social media? If connecting with brands was direct, or even anonymous, where likes or engagement did not matter?
I quitted social media some time ago and just leaving the essential for an art blog on Tubmlr and Discord for work. Is something I never regretted.
Oh. Instagram died a few years ago. People are just hanging onto the initial concept which was so lovely
All of thisss. I wish there was a way to get rid of Substack notes! I’m soooo tired of everyone posting the typical “follow for follow” & whatnot. I don’t want just a bunch of numbers with maybe 5% actually reading what I write. I want to grow organically & have a group of people who actually care abt my words. Soooo tired of everything becoming a form of social media 😭
I so relate to this post and have written a take of my own. Thank you for your perspective.
This is exactly why I don't like short-form content like Tiktok etc. Id rather put my efforts in something with longevity.
I just realised, the thing about "social media" nowadays is that I constantly have the feeling that I am in competition with everyone else on the apps. In Instagram and also here on Substack to some extent, I feel like there are so incredibly many people online, and thus I, if I write too, am in competition for audience and for attention in general with everyone else.
This feeling is not present when running a blog or a homepage. You still know there are a bazillion other blogs and homepages out there, but it still doesn't feel like you compete with them.
The social media has in reality become competitive media. It encourages competition and comparisons - which is not healthy in general.
Brutal.