We liked connecting over the internet, but we don’t like the pervasiveness of social media. We were forced to think they are the same. It’s not. Indie web exists. Aside from buying a domain name (there are some free web hosting platforms out there, but it’s not free “free”), the entire web hosting experience is completely manageable. If you don’t pay for it, you don’t own it - that’s the name of the game of internet existence. You own and control the content you post on your own website, without fear of censorship, bans, the complete loss of all your hard work, or being buried for not being engaging enough. You won’t be affected by cloud services going down.

They tricked us into believing that creating a space online is impossible, only mega corporations and big tech with large and complicated resources can do it. That’s a lie. You can go from the simplest HTML webpages to something at par with most social media sites. You just have to be willing, or hella pissed off, to leave social media altogether and learn HTML (maybe CSS too if you’re into personalization) and pay a few dollars for your own online real estate.

You can definitely break up with social media.

Shopping is a salve from the FOMO they used to wound you with. Every other rebellion/movement that happened within our culture required buying. On the topic of going offline, the amount of content that endorses returning to physical things has started popping up like mushrooms. Good, because going offline is, but bad, because you need to buy something to supplement your existing habits to adapt to a new one. Enter, Field Notes. I’ve seen this notebook before its sudden rise, circulating around the handiwork online spaces of craftsmen drafting designs and writing down measurements and materials for their projects. Nowadays, it’s part of everyone’s everyday carry (EDC). It’s now everyone’s pocket of the journal of choice. It’s getting art treatment and limited edition releases. In my opinion, nothing corrupts a functional product than commercialization. For the most of us who had been writing long hand for a long time (craftsmen, writers, musicians, people who believed that the brain is for thinking and not remembering), any surface that would absorb a pen ink would do - back of receipts, paper napkins, recycled paper from used notebooks stapled together, and even on the palm of one’s hand (granted that it’s not sweaty).

You don’t need to buy this new thing to get into a new habit. Use the one you have around or fashion what you already have into something that is personalized to you to ensure your commitment to it. And if you need to buy some materials to start, go buy at a second-hand store, or from someone else who's having a quitting sale. There are classes out there that include a starter kit you use in the class and then take home afterward to continue your project with. That’s more bang for your buck than buying 23 colors of whatever when you don’t even have the basics nailed in yet.

What a way to introduce more consumption, for wanting to avoid another kind of consumption.

Ever wished you could pick your personality like clothes in your closet based on your mood for the day or the weather? Here, I’ve just got the aesthetic, personality, hobbies, (and shop links) for you. You may think that it’s dystopian and can only be possible if we live in a cyberpunk world, but we can now buy personalities. It’s a package. It comes with instructions on what to do, what to say, how to say it, how to act, what your interests would be, how to pose, what to post, how many times a day you should post, what’s your scope of knowledge is, how to interact with other people in group and out group, and you can all buy them through this link. This leads to an online shop where you can buy house decor, clothes, media, shoes, hair, makeup, nails, displays, keychains, skincare, bathroom items, what to bring in your bag, online courses, and every item to use in every color and treatment to complete the vibes.

The best part? You can try them all! You no longer have to wait for the next season or your phase in life; you can change from one personality to another, overnight!

You just have to enter your credit card info.

Every little bit of negative or aversive experience you’re having and wanting to escape from is money to them. You scroll through social media to self-soothe or to escape an awkward situation; they serve you ads, and they get money from them. All the people around you (or your feed) are doing something; here’s an influencer showing you how to be just like them with the link to an online shop. They manufacture discomfort so that they can push you down through the marketing sales funnel. It’s very easy to miss when you’re on autopilot.

I suggest you remove the reins. Pull the plug.

People are benefiting from your discomfort. You should be one of them.

10/27/2025