Every morning, the first thing I do is grab my phone to turn off the alarm and browse various social media platforms. I usually look through Twitter/X first, bookmarking the articles I want to read throughout the day and seeing what’s happening in pop culture. Then, I go to Instagram and scroll through mutual reels. Sometimes, I check out Reddit for news-gathering purposes.
However, I noticed my routine had changed a few days ago. The first app I open now is Substack.
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I’ve been testing Substack for the last couple of months for some personal projects, and I also wanted to keep up with my close friends’ and relatives’ newsletters. Initially, I found it hard to treat Substack like any other social media platform.
Originally a platform used by independent writers to share their work with the opportunity to acquire a following and/or paid subscribers, Substack has expanded. Now, all sorts of content creators — writers, influencers, researchers, historians, fashion and lifestyle bloggers, and more — are using the app to share stories, research, analysis, recipes, and news and cultivate internet communities in a refreshing way.
Here are four reasons why Substack is now the first social media app I lean towards to begin my day:
1. Diverse perspectives and content types
Over the last few years, Substack has attracted thousands of independent writers, journalists, and creators by allowing them to monetize their content through paid newsletters. Substack has also become a place of refuge for news professionals burned by legacy media sites and for alternative media publications like former MSNBC commentators Mehdi Hasan’s Zeteo and Joy-Ann Reid’s Joy’s House, independent news outlet Drop Site News, and former WashPo journalist Taylor Lorenz’s User Mag.
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More recently, I’ve gravitated to Substack for news, personal essays, cultural criticism, and even historical analysis. Opening my Substack inbox every morning to a well-curated selection of writings and choosing something to read or skim to start my day has been a nice alternative to opening Twitter and being accosted with weird political ads, misinformation, and bots.
While gathering a following may take some time, I recommend downloading the app just for the newsletters alone. Substack has also introduced long- and short-form video posts. If reading is not your thing, I’ve also enjoyed listening to video posts ranging from people’s everyday musings to actual news and interviews. Also, with Substack Live, creators can host live videos and bring on guests to have in-depth discussions or gossip sessions you might find on TikTok.
2. It’s more expansive
Substack is expansive, and I genuinely believe there is something for everyone on the site. There are dedicated sections for culture, technology, fashion, lifestyle, business, politics, food and art, faith, and more. Sorting through it all can be overwhelming, but it only works if you can find and follow the people and content that interest you the most.
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Unfortunately, that might take some work on your end. I recommend first following your friends and seeing the type of content they’re interacting with. Then, search for your favorite content creators from other social media platforms to see if they have Substacks.
3. The chat feature
The chat feature allows content creators to interact with their communities and encourages their followers to interact with each other in civilized and fun ways. As someone who is interested in internet communities but has also witnessed some toxic behaviors from certain siloed groups on Twitter and TikTok, it is refreshing to see people engage with each other civilly.
For instance, Subrina Heyink is a vintage shop owner and stylist I follow on Instagram, but she also runs one of my favorite style newsletters called Are you wearing that by Subrina Heyink. Her newsletter and overall setup are interesting because she utilizes the chat feature on Substack to share thrift and vintage finds across different websites with her following, and her followers can also share sustainable fashion finds and tips.
Similarly, cultural critic and writer Hunter Harris has a Substack called Hung Up, which is pretty well known. One of my favorite aspects of her Substack is that, aside from her writings, she also uses the chat feature to interact with her followers during significant pop culture events like the Super Bowl or live award shows, and about current movie and TV show watch obsessions.
4. Less chaos
High-profile social media platforms have become less user-friendly and more chaotic because of issues like misinformation, toxicity, and ad saturation. Traditional media platforms are beholden to SEO and page-view analytics, whereas Substack is focused more on fostering internet communities and attracting content creators and writers. It’s not plagued with ads because it’s predicated on a subscription model.
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Moreover, because of the richness and variety of content you can find on Substack, creators are using the platform to build their own autonomous spaces and establish direct relationships with audiences — often with the intent of monetization, of course.
Plus, the app’s expansion into a social networking platform with a follow feature and Twitter-like notes attracted more everyday users and their more casual, funny, and thoughtful musings and posts that used to be typical of Twitter in its heyday.
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