Why Substack is healing the millennials
We were MADE for a platform like this
Hi, I’m Andi and I write weekly about how to be a 90s mom with recipes, activities and products! I was born in 1990 (no I know, please don’t do the math) and I absolutely loved my magical childhood so I’m trying to bring it back in how I raise my child.
I started posting more about being a 90s mom two years ago on TikTok and gained a following of 9,300 on TikTok which was so exciting (especially as an elder millennial). I had no idea about Substack until I took a much needed break from other social medias and did a 40-day digital fast in February of this year.
During those 40 days, it was kind of like I broke up with a toxic (but sometimes helpful) app that was designed to keep me addicted and kind of numbed out to my actual life. I finally had space and margin in my life and was like I’ll give Substack a shot, why not? I posted my first note!
And I immediately found other moms who could relate. I started writing more and now I am so obsessed that I am literally not going back. These are my thoughts on why I, and so many others of us millennials, are healing through Substack.
It is so much less overstimulating
After doing a 40-day digital fast, I was worried about going back. I thought I would get addicted again but when I signed back onto TikTok I’ve found that I physically cannot watch more than 5 videos at a time. I think I reset my nervous system so much that I actually feel sick with the speed and the intensity and the volume of each video.
It’s a video of a girlie sharing about her new pair of shoes but I swear she’s yelling at me that if I don’t buy it right now the world is going to end. And also, TikTok was never going to be my home base - I am in my mid 30s for goodness sakes. I did try, and I grew to almost 10K followers and still have a lovely community but “I love ya but I ain’t staying here”. It is exhausting. I need something slower and more meaningful.
It is therapeutic to read and write again
I just love to read and write, don’t you? I’ve loved it ever since I was a little kid. Well I think a lot of us did because we had no internet from 1990-2000, there was literally nothing else to do.
But with that space we filled it with books, imagination, and writing.
When we were 7 we were writing short stories, publishing newspapers for our family just because, submitting poems to our librarian. In middle school, we were part of scrapbook and yearbook club. In high school we wrote notes to each other and wrote about our crushes in our diaries. That is our world.
We were designed to read long form content but short form content was just what was offered to us by Meta. I think we’re now realizing that it does not satisfy. Now that we are offered a space where we can both consume and create long form content, I think we are all collectively taking a breath like, “finally, yes please”. This is why I think so many of us are saying Substack feels like coming home. Our inner child is thriving!
It feels human again
Here, people share from their hearts, not just for likes and views. Also, most people are sharing without AI and there’s something way more authentic and real. The lack of ads or consumerism is also so refreshing. Instead of 10 things you need to buy, it’s 10 things you need to know. My life has felt richer since being a Substack member and I’m getting my brain back too.
Substack is more of a community
In the early days of Instagram (like 2011), it was cute. We would upload without overthinking and call it a day. But now, it has gotten to a point where everything is so polished and pretty and it’s almost impossible to hop on there without feeling inadequate. It also sort of feels like a hierarchy exists where you’re either somebody or you’re not. But there is a sense of community and collaboration here that is so special, you could reach out to someone and they’ll be generous in their responses. It feels like we all want to see each other win and help each other out!
We are all trying
I was wondering why I don’t have the same level of imposter syndrome that I usually have when trying something new here, but then I realized that it’s probably because we are all trying. It is not embarrassing to be seen trying because we are all putting ourselves out there and writing again and there’s so much support!
It reminds of us OG blogging
Millennials thrive when we can decorate our online space. Like Myspace, LiveJournal, Xanga. We do it for the fun of it, not to get famous. And I think this has been so healing for us, to have a space that is ours and that we can rearrange and build little publications and communities has been so cozy.
Speaking of… I am creating a cozy corner of the internet with my new subscriber chat that I am calling AIM (short for Andi’s Instant Messenger)!! I don’t want to be dramatic but this is the best idea I’ve ever had!
When you join, I will have thoughtful weekly prompts like helping you craft your own away message again (remember those?). Or keeping you accountable on days we want to not be posting and checking (Thoughtful Thursdays). I even want us to eventually share screenshots of our weekly screen time on Sundays. Not at first, but we’ll get there because I know that number can be a jump scare.
Anyways, I’m so excited about it because this is your buddy list of millennial mom friends who are done and exhausted with Instagram and want to actively work on being more present so we can become the moms we were always meant to be. I’m offering a free 7-day trial for the rest of this month while I’m experimenting there and then it will be $7/month! The goal is for us to keep each other accountable and grow 🌷
I’m SO excited about this!
xoxo
Andi
