Social Media Escape Club

Almost everything that is meaningful, beautiful, life-affirming, empowering, transformational, true—it can’t be reached by shortcuts. But what we can do is make the longcuts walkable, put out footbridges and stairs, and a table where the ocean comes into view.

Recalling the specifics now, I can see more clearly exactly what’s being lost. Scrolling displaces observation, shuts out occasions for self-generated thought, silences out-of-the-blue invitations. Checking the phone reroutes the discomfort of blankness and emptiness. It stoppers authentic—often anxious—waiting.

When I was acting, some of the BEST advice I ever got was from a choreographer who told me, "Courtney, you're working too hard. Let the audience come to you." I leaned back, and the scene started working. I think it's a similar thing to Paul Rudd showing that clip. He didn't have to push, in fact, he let the line go a little bit slack. And then we,... See more

My latest column at The New Yorker is about the revenge of homepages: Why we're turning toward individual websites as the platform era of the internet continues to disintegrate.

I started working on this piece because I've found myself going to homepages more often. It's a way to get a controlled, curated look at what a publication offers, and a... See more

I’m happy I asked you to send questions. It led to conversations with readers I had never heard from before.