Related Recs

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Earnest participation in subculture

the social internet (and rapid, inescapable commercialization thereof) makes it so that you are what you consume, not what you do, not where you go, not who you spend your time with. before if you bought the clothes or the gear without doing it or without being in community, you were a poser. if you monetized or commercialized that interest and put those incentives over expression and connection, you were a sellout. but that doesn’t exist anymore — democratization and anti-gatekeeping as both ideas and ends of an algorithm to maximize surface area for consumption have made it so that there isn’t a distinct authority on what you can attach to your identity or how you express yourself
but if the extent of our agency in a democratized landscape is to only to consume more instead of producing or connecting, or to produce only to commodify ourselves for money or internet points, then maybe it’s a different kind of “being influenced by social trends rather than authentic interest” than going to a skate park, or an open mic, or a restaurant, or whatever because we heard about it somewhere and wanted to check it out, and de-centering the internet from what we see on it and how we engage with it is a way to make that healthier or more generative for ourselves, and can create beauty without immediately thinking about how to fit into a box along lines drawn by advertisers

@alaiyo

Jan 15, 2025

1

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“WE LEEP LOOKING BACK FOR A REASON”

by @artifaxing on instagram.
“ It’s 2025 as I write this, and I’m holding what would’ve been seen as a supercomputer just 50 years ago in the palm of my hand. I can Google any image, take a photo, post it online, and reach millions in seconds. But still… I find myself missing the past. The “good days.” And maybe you do too. For years now, I’ve noticed something. When I scroll, I see grainy VHS clips, blurry digital photos, old games on outdated consoles. And I always ask why. But I know the answer. Everything today feels polished. We’ve got 8K, 160fps, ultra-HD in our pockets. Even the cheapest cameras capture insane quality. But is that a true reflection of us? I don’t think so. We’re drawn to what’s imperfect because we’re imperfect. That raw, nostalgic look feels more real. And especially in moments of uncertainty, people turn to it for comfort. It’s familiar. It feels safe. According to fMRI studies, nostalgia even lights up reward centers in our brain, particularly the medial prefrontal cortex. That’s why you see it everywhere now. People are buying old iPhones just to get the early 2010s look in photos. Brands are tapping into that too. Nostalgia marketing has seen a 20 to 30 percent rise recently. It’s not just media. It’s clothes, logos, design. Minimalism and modernism made everything clean, but in doing so, kind of erased the personality. People want character again. They want imperfection. They want bold, messy, loud. They want to feel something. “

@bloodmage

Jul 3, 2025

7

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the idea that 'Nothing has changed since 1999'

I'm fascinated with the idea that culture has come to a grinding halt in the past couple decades. It partly feels true, but it could be that the media we consume and platforms we use are self-aware echo chambers that aren't conducive to original ideas. I'm curious on y'all's thoughts.

@theclack

Jun 19, 2024

13

Top Recs from @kybies

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Def would be the edge of seventeen!

cute coming of age movie with characters I can relate to through every struggle and the perfect amount of awkward teenness

@kybies

Mar 11, 2025

7

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📖

inkheart

honestly this was a read from childhood that has always stuck with me and i will go back to. it has such a whimsiness about it that makes you feel like a child again while reading it. gorgeous details that you can envision as well as a fun plot.

@kybies

Mar 12, 2025

3

5

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COOL PEOPLE!!

I’m here to improve my coolness. Some of you are being cloned in the lab(my room) and i hope that’s okay. I made a banging coffee this morning that cost me $0 and i will be working my grocery store job soon. I like the diary feelings of this app without the fear of not getting any likes. Peace ✌️

@kybies

Mar 11, 2025

5