Algorithms. Doom scrolling. AI Slop.
It can all feel a little hopeless.
But signs are pointing to a return to a time when things were more tactile and analog. A yearning for what the kids are calling “physical media,” or what Gen Xers call…our stuff.
Vinyl. DVDs. Books. Print magazines. It’s all making a comeback. Not just with Gen Xers, but with Gen Zers who weren’t even alive when Sam Goody was a thing.
Is this just a TikTok trend, nostalgia, wishful thinking, or something more?
We tackled this topic just minutes ago during a Substack Live chat with writers
, and Woznicki.Here are some of the things we talked about:
Why the algorithm makes us feel worse the longer we scroll
The emotional difference between streaming a song and holding the record
Why Gen Z is buying DVDs and cassette tapes
The mental health benefits of writing longhand and the surprising comeback of cursive
The return of speed dating and the end of endless swiping
What it’s like moving to a new country (hi, France) and using tech to build real community—not just followers
What we miss about waiting for a record, a magazine, a conversation
And the thing we’re all actually craving underneath it all: community
Aside from the fact that things got weirdly glitchy whenever we mentioned the words TikTok and AI (Big Brother’s watching!), we had a great chat.
Look forward to hearing your thoughts!
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