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Every few weeks I watch a video essay that convinces me to get things like Instagram off my phone again and pick up a book, go outside. This is one of those essays.
Jul 3, 2025
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🧩20 guys walking down a street in new york: all wearing doc martens and jorts, wafting vanilla down the block, a book in one hand and a matcha in the other. what the fuck? is this really them? am i really me? or are we just molded this way?
naturally, the desire to be liked by others can overpower us — whether it’s subtle code-switching or even picking up new hobbies. especially now, we’re more exposed to trends than ever. and when you see millions of people liking a video about a certain shoe, what else can your weird, molded brain think except, “if i had these shoes, people would think i’m cool”?
but while i ’m sifting through microtrends, the same little brain worm burrows into my noggin and asks me: “what would i have been like, if i wasn’t exposed to any social media? to any outside opinions?”
this question scares me. i really love writing — but would i have started if i hadn’t been shown videos about it? where, and who, would i be without the influence of these algorithms? but i think that’s unrealistic to imagine. we’re well into the age of technology, and it’s hard to avoid.
so what can we do?
what if we just put the phone down for a few months?
get shoes that actually feel good. smell everything and find a scent you like — even if you look like a weirdo sniffing objects. find what you love and love to be. learn how to live outside the grasp of an algorithm and in the wet, wrinkly arms of your brain. i’ll be doing it too.
naturally, the desire to be liked by others can overpower us — whether it’s subtle code-switching or even picking up new hobbies. especially now, we’re more exposed to trends than ever. and when you see millions of people liking a video about a certain shoe, what else can your weird, molded brain think except, “if i had these shoes, people would think i’m cool”?
but while i ’m sifting through microtrends, the same little brain worm burrows into my noggin and asks me: “what would i have been like, if i wasn’t exposed to any social media? to any outside opinions?”
this question scares me. i really love writing — but would i have started if i hadn’t been shown videos about it? where, and who, would i be without the influence of these algorithms? but i think that’s unrealistic to imagine. we’re well into the age of technology, and it’s hard to avoid.
so what can we do?
what if we just put the phone down for a few months?
get shoes that actually feel good. smell everything and find a scent you like — even if you look like a weirdo sniffing objects. find what you love and love to be. learn how to live outside the grasp of an algorithm and in the wet, wrinkly arms of your brain. i’ll be doing it too.
Jun 23, 2025
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this article really captivated me about 8 years ago when it came out. i was still in college on my sociology bullshit and was extremely interested in the tactile changes the internet was bringing, especially to cities (i was also in the midst of a rust belt obsession so really couldn't have been more tailored to me).
a lot of what is in this article has been discussed to death in the time since, but i re-read it recently after a visit to troy new york (the main subject) and found it a really interesting relic of the 2016 internet landscape AND a worthwhile reflection of what the author was predicting and how much of it came true. and all of it is still very relevant, just swap instagram with tiktok
a lot of what is in this article has been discussed to death in the time since, but i re-read it recently after a visit to troy new york (the main subject) and found it a really interesting relic of the 2016 internet landscape AND a worthwhile reflection of what the author was predicting and how much of it came true. and all of it is still very relevant, just swap instagram with tiktok
Nov 12, 2024
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Using vaping vs cigarettes as an analogy for why the internet sucks is brilliant. The vital, dangerous experience vs the empty, frictionless experience. I'm looking forward to reading more from this column.
6d ago
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Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh and Girl On Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves by Sophie Gilbert.
I'm really enjoying both, despite how many times Girl On Girl punches me in the gut with lines like, "Movies in the aughts hated women."
May 21, 2025
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⭐After three, I say something like, "oh, wow" or if it's my partner, I jokingly say "stop it".
May 2, 2025
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🐸Shows are impossible to go to, now. The entire Ticketmaster platform is filled with scalpers that TM choose to foster, rather than ensure that fans can see artists perform. (Yes, I'm salty because yet another performer's presale is on and tickets are "Verified Resale" for $500+ each.)
I just want so badly for everyone to stop spending thousands of dollars on shit seats so the industry caves in on itself and makes way for progress. Concerts are not supposed to be this way, and we aren't getting there if people keep throwing a $2000 ticket on their credit card for 300-level seats.
Don't be the frog boiling in the water, HOP OUT OF THE POT!
I just want so badly for everyone to stop spending thousands of dollars on shit seats so the industry caves in on itself and makes way for progress. Concerts are not supposed to be this way, and we aren't getting there if people keep throwing a $2000 ticket on their credit card for 300-level seats.
Don't be the frog boiling in the water, HOP OUT OF THE POT!
Apr 23, 2025