I Miss the Old You

I’m frustrated with the state of things right now. Blogging feels like a dying art, but I refuse to let mine fade away. It doesn’t matter if anyone reads it. I still enjoy documenting my journey. I just can’t stand how everything now is all about TikTok, with its 60-second videos that offer no depth. It’s just a flash of someone’s life that’s barely personal. Most of the content is rants, investigations, exposes, comedy skits, or perfectly curated day-in-the-life reels. 

What I miss are the kinds of blog posts that share real details about people's lives. What they’re loving right now. The little joys that brighten their days. I want to know about your monthly favorites, how your style has evolved, the hobbies you’ve started, what movies you’re into, and the songs that give you life. I want to hear about the books you’re reading. The art that inspires you. Your ups and downs. Your goals, your lessons learned. I want to read your poetry. Learn what makes you tick, and hear about all of your adventures. I miss reading about people’s lives in this way. I wish more people in my life wrote about their experiences. I keep telling Danny to start, but he never does, and it makes me sad because I have nothing to read lol. 

And don’t get me started on photos. It feels like no one even cares about them anymore. I love the art of photography and the effort it takes to get a beautifully crafted photo. But that’s a rant for another day.
I’m seeing a little bit of a revival with Substack, which gives me hope, but I still miss the days of Blogger and Tumblr. Things were more unfiltered then. Sometimes, I get a taste of that on Instagram when people post carousels of their favorite horror books or share glimpses of their junk journaling. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just craving something real, something authentic. Social media used to feel genuine, but now it’s become this perfect, curated show. It’s more of a manufactured version of reality designed to sell us something we don’t need. We’ve gone from posting random photos of our morning coffee or a snapshot of the Christmas tree to just being sold products we don’t care about. 

The capitalist agenda has taken hold, and I’m over it. I don’t want to see your Amazon “faves” list. I want to know about YOU. Social media used to be about connection, not commerce. It feels like it’s all become so sterile and predictable. I’ve gotten so bored lately, and I’m craving more creativity from these platforms. I want more genuine expression. I’m hoping to find my way back to that. I’ll never stop writing or taking photos, no matter how trendy or commercialized things get. People are longing for a return to analog activities because of social media’s soullessness, and I totally get that, but sometimes I wonder if the real solution is to bring social media back to what it used to be.