Reader Q&A #3 | How can I keep up with the news and trends without social media?
Spoiler: it's easier than you think.
What first started out as a way to connect with friends and family, has evolved into a trend machine, a news broadcast, and an entertainment platform. Should all of these things be wrapped up into one platform? I’d argue no, but you already know that.
I wasn’t immune to it. I genuinely got the majority of my news from Instagram. Since I was consuming it via someone who I felt was reputable (Mosheh), I justified the lack of depth. I knew what was trending in fashion (despite a wardrobe of mostly yoga pants). I was on top of the latest in home decor (color!). I had a saved folder of new recipes to try, crafts to set up for my kids, and DIY projects that I would definitely get to.
When I was finally ready to leave social media, I was worried I’d miss out on so much, that I’d be so out of the loop.
Guess what? I’m not. I created a system to keep up with the important stuff, and I cut out the things that didn’t really matter to me. I actually have a better understanding of the news because I’m not reading snippets in Instagram stories. I have my finger on the pulse of things that I actually care about.
Today’s reader question could have come from me a year ago. I wish I could have given year-ago me this essay. I might have quit sooner.
If you’d like to submit a question to be answered in a future installment, message me or submit a question on the chat.
Q: I want to quit social media. It no longer feels like a healthy choice for me, but I just feel like I’m going to miss out on so much. It’s where I get my news, it’s where I keep up on the latest trends, it’s where I learn recipes, etc. I don’t know how to keep up with life without social media.
I want to start by saying this — please know that this feeling is normal. You are not alone. We have been conditioned to think that we need to be on top of every single trend, catch every headline, and know every meme reference. When we consider leaving social media, it’s more complicated than simply deleting an app on our phone. Using these apps has been deeply intertwined into our daily lives.
First step I’d like to suggest is to reframe your mindset – You do NOT need to know it ALL. Accept that it’s impossible to take it all in in a truly meaningful way. The way that we are expected to consume content isn’t actually healthy — it’s a firehose of information. There’s no depth, no true understanding.
You don’t need to read every news headline, it’s better to read in-depth articles once a day or even every other day. Simply getting the Sunday paper will arguably keep you more informed than your peers who only read headlines and snippets with biased lens.
You don’t need to know every fashion trend. In fact, your wallet will thank you if you aren’t buying a new collection of jeans every season, if you aren’t participating in fast fashion or buying pieces with only one-time uses.
Trends and memes change faster than you can blink. Do you really think you’ll miss out if you have to ask a friend to explain a topic? I’d argue this will actually lead to a more meaningful conversation than a simple “oh yeah, I saw that!”
I can promise that your life will be richer when you let these things go, and instead focus on depth and the interests that are the most important to you.
Take the time to build out your sources
Once you’ve shifted your mindset, it’s time to narrow in your focus on what matters. Make a list of things that are really important for you to keep up with.
My list looks like this:
News
Books
Recipes
Culture
Don’t worry if it’s broad. That’s not the point, the idea is to start somewhere. Things that I left off my list that you might find more important: fashion, music, sports, home decor, gaming, TV and film, celebrity news, finance, investing, or specific niche interests.
It can really be anything, but I challenge you to hone in your list to only a few things. You can always layer on more later.
From here, you need to build out your actual sources for each of these topics. Curate people and brands that you trust, who’s style and advice you rate. This can come from so many places:
Direct news sources: Brands and news organizations exist outside of their social media profiles. Make a bookmark of your favorite websites. Consider paying for a digital subscription if it’s a source you want to support that may be behind a paywall. You can further challenge yourself to get physical versions of these sources - maybe you’ll subscribe to the Sunday paper in your local town or revitalize a trusted magazine subscription.
Newsletters: Substack has brought a new revolution to the way we consume newsletters. Many of my favorite personalities from Instagram now have Substacks, and I’m so grateful that I can support them here instead of missing out on their content on Instagram. Take the time to really look through various Substacks and find ones who might provide you with the content you’re looking for. The options are truly endless.
Podcasts and radio: There is a podcast out there for nearly every niche and interest. There’s news podcasts, entertainment podcasts, and education podcasts. Don’t sleep on the radio. Even just putting on a playlist on Spotify or listening to your local radio station can help you to discover new artists.
Library: Enter the unsung hero — your local library. You can check out cookbooks, newspapers, and magazines. Many libraries offer free digital subscriptions through Libby or Hoopla.
The outside world: Get out into the world. Take note of what your friends are wearing. Start a book club. Join a group with similar interests as you. You can catch up on trends merely by existing in the world around you.
Here’s my process:
News:
I pay for NYT and my local newspaper (digital for both). I probably check at least one every other day in the early evening. On the weekend, I use some of my free-time to read longer articles.
I listen to NPR when I’m driving. I go through phases when I listen to The Daily, but sometimes I need a break from the news.
I subscribe to Sharon McMahon’s Substack which I love. She was one account I was worried about missing out on when I left Instagram.
Books:
I constantly text friends about books. (Sorry friends. I’m not going anywhere.)
I generally love Grace Atwood’s book recommendations, so I’ll look at her archive and I subscribe to her Substack.
Kate Baer’s side Instagram - BaerBooks - is where I’ve found some of my all-time favorite reads. Guess what? I don’t have to be on Instagram to look at her profile and see if she posted a new recommendation. I just have to go to her page on my desktop. No scrolling required.
Recipes:
The NYT Cooking app comes with my subscription, and this is probably where I get 80% of my recipes. I like the format, the searchability, and I always look at comments to see if there’s any recommended tweaks to make. My favorite part? There are zero ads spamming me every time I have to double check an ingredient quantity.
Caro Chambers was my very first Substack subscription and worth every penny. The way she writes recipes (ingredient quantities in the directions! revolutionary!) makes life so much easier. I also subscribe to (and love) Alison Roman’s.
Cookbooks from my Library are such a gem. I love Halfbaked Harvest, but I cannot handle her website. Lucky for me, her cookbooks have been in rotation in my kitchen thanks to my local library.
Culture
I don’t take myself too seriously on this subject right now, but I like to be generally aware of what’s going on. My NYT subscription helps, but I supplement it with The New Yorker. I use to have a paid subscription, but after months of magazines piling up, I switched to a free digital subscription through my local library.
I listen to Armchair Expert and occasionally Smartless.
I talk to my friends and ask them what they’re watching and listening to, who they are liking, what they are excited about. I go to local events and museums and once in a blue moon, I even make it out to the movie theater. Culture is in the world around us, not on your phone.
As with anything fruitful in life, it might take you a bit of time and some trial and error to get to the right system. That’s okay. Take the time to get it right. It’s better than an infinite feed of fluff and bullshit.
Remember, there was a time when the world existed without social media. You can too.