Privacy Premium

The privilege of being offline

Does anyone actually even enjoy being online, all the time? When social presence turns from what it used to be (connection, community, sharing) to what it is now (self promotion, personal branding) has it lost its shine?

Molly added 5mo

my hunch is that we will see a new wave of rich gen alpha kids whose privilege would be being less online. the 'ipad baby' is a function of overworked working parents who hand over technology to kids early on for their chance at a few hours' downtime in a day because they either cannot afford day care or in the case of indians, live away from thei... See more

kaav

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Molly added 5mo

But by embedding tech and social media into everyday life without fixing the inequalities that still undermine that everyday life, we’ve built a “solution” that actually highlights—and will start to reinforce—fundamental problems of inequality.

The privilege of logging off

Molly added 5mo

I’m not getting off TikTok. But there’s a reason why I prefer more creative mediums of self expression like Substack as a platform for brand building. It feels less like you’re feeding yourself to the algorithmic beast in hopes of achieving some ill-sought after goal

Molly added 4mo

It’s self promotion on steroids. I don’t want to do it anymore. But can we afford not to?

Molly added 4mo

These camouflage patterns, once designed for military concealment in wartime, now adapt to an era where clothing subtly addresses the challenges of digital scrutiny and surveillance technologies, intended to be worn constantly. After all, we are living in a time of "permacrisis."

Don Quixote’s Modern Quest

Molly added 5mo

Which leaves you with two options: Take all of your meetings in the back of a yellow cab, or join a photo-free club. In other words, many people seem willing to go to desperate lengths to retain the rush of privacy.

Emily Sundberg • Why Members-Only Clubs Are Everywhere Right Now

Molly added 5mo

I love social media (obviously, I write this newsletter). But there are days when I blast through my TikTok time limit and am left feeling exhausted. So much of my job (and most jobs these days) are wrapped up in staying relevant with what’s going on in the world — constantly up to date, dialed in, on the pulse. Despite the fun times I have online,

Molly added 4mo

During the song’s crescendo, Joel sings: “Slow down you crazy child / Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while / It’s alright you can afford to lose a day or two.” Good advice in 1977, maybe, but not entirely possible in 2024.

“That’s this really romantic thought, because you can’t really do that nowadays,” Keaton said. “You can turn yo... See more

Alaina Demopoulos • ‘No One Understands a Woman in Her 20s Like Billy Joel’: Gen Z Finds Solace in Anti-Hustle Anthem Vienna

Molly added 4mo

I’ve always joked that the people who post the most about their partner and their relationship on social media are usually the least happy.

Molly added 5mo