Trying out Notes right now
Trying out Notes right now
This might be a hopeful alternative to social media in its current toxic form. Let's give it a shot.
If you know me or have even read my book, you know that I’m very much against the idea of social media and its dominating business models. If you are asking me why, I suggest you read some Jaron Lanier or, if you happen to speak German, my book. There’s also this famous Netflix documentary and many more resources on the site of Tristan Harris’ Center for Humane Technology.
I’ve deleted most of my accounts in 2018 (except for a LinkedIn account that I have to admit I was too scared to delete because of potential career options and the notion that many HR people tend to not look at resumés anymore but go for your LI profile instead). Canceling those accounts was one of the best decisions of my life. I won so much time in my day and freed myself from the addiction to small hits of dopamine throughout my day. Also, I stayed out of toxic discourse and the influence of »influencers«.
Last year, I did set up a new Instagram for Zen Sounds, just to be able to follow artists and labels and send them direct messages and requests. I rarely use it privately. It’s actually crazy how this has become the standard form of communication in huge parts of the music scene. I’d love to delete this account right away, as I only have a small number of followers and I do want people to follow me here, not on IG, but it does help me in being up to date with new releases and to get in contact with some independent artists.
When I discovered Substack, I was positively excited about their idea of building a platform based on writers and their »content« (oh how I hate that word by now), not on the shady advertising models of the attention economy. It has worked well for me, my readership has been growing steadily and I seem to be reaching a very specific audience that seems to be interested in the weird music and films I love. That’s good news for now.
Yesterday they’ve launched a new function called »Notes«, and while it pretty much looks like a regular Social Media feed at first glance, there’s one fundamental difference about it – it’s not bound to any type of advertising-driven business model. Still, some of the other toxic implications of social media platforms might be arising in the future. Maybe it can work as a more civilized place though, where writers and readers actually discuss things they care about, get in contact with each other and make real connections. Who knows, a better world might be possible after all.
So to be a productive part of this potential development, I just published my first note on Substack Notes, and would love for you to join me there. In general, it’s a space to share links, short posts, quotes, photos, stuff like that. I plan to use it for things that don’t fit in the newsletter, like quick recommendations for records, articles, documentaries, and - of course - some shameless self-promotion for my own writing. And we’ll see what else comes along the way.
Have a great rest of your week! See you on Saturday, as usual.
From Substack:
How to join
Head to substack.com/notes or find the “Notes” tab in the Substack app. As a subscriber to Zen Sounds, you’ll automatically see my notes. Feel free to like, reply, or share them around!
You can also share notes of your own. I hope this becomes a space where every reader of Zen Sounds can share thoughts, ideas, and interesting quotes from the things we're reading on Substack and beyond.
If you encounter any issues, you can always refer to the Notes FAQ for assistance. Looking forward to seeing you there!