This was a timely read for me. I’ve started noticing how being on notes feels similar to the other social media I intentionally limit or avoid.
In my opinion, Substack has two disparate experiences: notes, which are often accompanied by regret; and reading articles which I rarely—if ever—regret, instead, I tend to feel ‘nourished’ and/or glad afterwards.
I also have the protective mechanism against notes—loading my inbox by default—which provides some added friction.
It’s a shame notes make me treat Substack like typical social media apps. I wonder whether my usage will decrease due to aiming to limit—or avoid—notes.
I think you've summed it up pretty well. Two different experiences seems about right. Notes feels like a toned down version of Twitter - it isn't very interesting to me. My inbox, on the other hand - as you say - is nourishing, at least in comparison to notes. However, books will be the most nourishing - so I try to notice whether Substack is taking my 'book-reading' time away from me.
My experience too! I have been really bad lately, using all SM way too much. How do you change your homepage from notes to the inbox, as you mentioned in the article?
This summarises my experience of Substack perfectly. Great though it is in many ways - I have discovered some fabulous writers and writing - I am wasting far too much time on Notes. Lack of engagement is also eroding my confidence, which wasn’t great to start with. I’m not going to delete Notes yet, but I am going to restrict the time I spend on it to half an hour a day. If it means I have even less traction than I do now, so be it.
That's nice to hear someone else has the same experience. Notes can be helpful yes, but compared to the central element of Substack - the newsletter - it feels superficial, and it certainly is a time-sink.
'So be it' - that's exactly my attitude too. Frankly, my day to day life is more important than excessively engaging on a social media platform. And I think in the long run, it shouldn't matter. We'll get there. It might take longer, sure, but our lives will be better for it.
The effect on people of this technology is indeed regrettable in some respects, as you showed here, and beneficial in others, as you also stated. I doubt I would have 3 books published with a 4th to come in a few days. People just need to keep social media in its place. Too few do. Thanks for this post.
That's exactly the right thought and phrase - 'keep it in its place'. You're also right - too few do, and I worry their day to day living is harmed as a result.
It is being harmed. We see it in public places—stores, restaurants, even the public library—families together but totally separate on their cell phones—parents and children. No one communicating except to someone out there in the ether. It’s affecting business, too. I just dealt with a situation today. And it scares the hell out of me.
Yup it's super weird. And luckily, the phones are outside our bodies. Not for long though. The transhumanists are trying as hard as they can to invent a way put in them inside our minds, or at least, the other way around.
Everyone calls Musk a genius—a term being bandied about too much these days. How can anyone be a genius if he/she doesn’t recognize the value of the human brain and see the danger of expanding technology beyond mankind’s current epistemological and ethical status? People can be brilliant in an area or two (I met lots of them when I went to MENSA meetings) and so very dumb in others. Technology has its place, but it’s being pushed waaaay past that now.
I agree - he's a human. Every human, even the most intelligent, has blind spots. That doesn't mean 'developing' into a machine is the right answer. Good news recently has been virtually reality has failed to take hold - people seem to have a natural aversion to it (the Meta thing). Hopefully it's the same with mind-uploading etc.
Yes, I’ve notice that VR has faded into the background. AI quickly took the technological forefront. Both are scary. And let’s hope that AI, too, fades away.
This was a timely read for me. I’ve started noticing how being on notes feels similar to the other social media I intentionally limit or avoid.
In my opinion, Substack has two disparate experiences: notes, which are often accompanied by regret; and reading articles which I rarely—if ever—regret, instead, I tend to feel ‘nourished’ and/or glad afterwards.
I also have the protective mechanism against notes—loading my inbox by default—which provides some added friction.
It’s a shame notes make me treat Substack like typical social media apps. I wonder whether my usage will decrease due to aiming to limit—or avoid—notes.
I wrote an article which has a similar theme to this one which you may enjoy or get something from (although it sounds like you have already enacted much of the advice): https://oliweatherall.substack.com/p/add-friction-get-unhooked
Thanks for reading and commenting.
I think you've summed it up pretty well. Two different experiences seems about right. Notes feels like a toned down version of Twitter - it isn't very interesting to me. My inbox, on the other hand - as you say - is nourishing, at least in comparison to notes. However, books will be the most nourishing - so I try to notice whether Substack is taking my 'book-reading' time away from me.
A timely reminder.
My experience too! I have been really bad lately, using all SM way too much. How do you change your homepage from notes to the inbox, as you mentioned in the article?
Yeah it creeps up on you aye. For the app it's under settings - display tab - homepage. If you set it is as 'inbox', it should stay as inbox.
This summarises my experience of Substack perfectly. Great though it is in many ways - I have discovered some fabulous writers and writing - I am wasting far too much time on Notes. Lack of engagement is also eroding my confidence, which wasn’t great to start with. I’m not going to delete Notes yet, but I am going to restrict the time I spend on it to half an hour a day. If it means I have even less traction than I do now, so be it.
That's nice to hear someone else has the same experience. Notes can be helpful yes, but compared to the central element of Substack - the newsletter - it feels superficial, and it certainly is a time-sink.
'So be it' - that's exactly my attitude too. Frankly, my day to day life is more important than excessively engaging on a social media platform. And I think in the long run, it shouldn't matter. We'll get there. It might take longer, sure, but our lives will be better for it.
Couldn’t agree more. I have ignored it all day and in future will only look at it once for half an hour max. I feel better already 😊
The effect on people of this technology is indeed regrettable in some respects, as you showed here, and beneficial in others, as you also stated. I doubt I would have 3 books published with a 4th to come in a few days. People just need to keep social media in its place. Too few do. Thanks for this post.
That's exactly the right thought and phrase - 'keep it in its place'. You're also right - too few do, and I worry their day to day living is harmed as a result.
It is being harmed. We see it in public places—stores, restaurants, even the public library—families together but totally separate on their cell phones—parents and children. No one communicating except to someone out there in the ether. It’s affecting business, too. I just dealt with a situation today. And it scares the hell out of me.
Yup it's super weird. And luckily, the phones are outside our bodies. Not for long though. The transhumanists are trying as hard as they can to invent a way put in them inside our minds, or at least, the other way around.
Everyone calls Musk a genius—a term being bandied about too much these days. How can anyone be a genius if he/she doesn’t recognize the value of the human brain and see the danger of expanding technology beyond mankind’s current epistemological and ethical status? People can be brilliant in an area or two (I met lots of them when I went to MENSA meetings) and so very dumb in others. Technology has its place, but it’s being pushed waaaay past that now.
I agree - he's a human. Every human, even the most intelligent, has blind spots. That doesn't mean 'developing' into a machine is the right answer. Good news recently has been virtually reality has failed to take hold - people seem to have a natural aversion to it (the Meta thing). Hopefully it's the same with mind-uploading etc.
Yes, I’ve notice that VR has faded into the background. AI quickly took the technological forefront. Both are scary. And let’s hope that AI, too, fades away.