Chuck dives into the paradox of modern reading habits, where subscribing feels productive but reading feels impossible
It’s hard to believe it was more than three decades ago that Bruce Springsteen took aim at contemporary culture through the metaphor of cable TV in his track, “57 Channels (and Nothin’ On).”
Today, as I’m looking at my inbox, the song bounces around in my head.
But with new lyrics:
“57 Substacks (and Nothin’ Read).”
It’s an exaggeration, yes. I’m not a subscriber to 57 Substacks –
It’s more like a dozen.
And I have read some entries of each:
…Each entry leaves me smarter for having read it. It’s just that there’s so much competing for my attention.
The sad truth is that, more often than not, I file the article to an email folder, thinking I’ll read it when I have time.
That time never comes.
I recognize this falls under the heading “First World problems.”
But I do feel more overwhelmed than ever by the fear of being unaware.
Subscribing to the Substacks is an attempt to try to keep in touch with what’s going on.
They’re a supplement to subscriptions to The New York Times; The Washington Post; my former employer, The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C.; and a couple of statewide media sites.
Still, there’s just not enough time to keep up with it all. That is, while focusing on the essentials of life:
- Family
- Friends
- Faith
- Food
- And fun.
Oh – and freedom and the future of our world and nation.
(Lots of “F” words there.)
I felt more of a sense of control back in the days when the daily newspaper collected the disparate voices and all the news that could fit.
Or, as one of our ad reps once said when giving a newsroom tour:
“What goes on the page around the ads.”
That apparent joke went over like a lead balloon.
The truth is that even then, the sense of control was an illusion.
But since I was part of the machinery putting it all together, I felt connected and calm.
Today, I often feel very disconnected – and anything but calm.
I wonder if that’s what these Substack authors (several of whom are my friends) feel. This is their attempt to connect, to find some sense of order or meaning. And to hope that people are reading, responding and reflecting.
(In that case, how is what I’m doing here much different?)
And I know the online media sites are the descendants of the newsrooms where I toiled for three decades and countless others across the nation spent their lives. I respect their work,even when I fail to consume it.
I’m not sure what the solution is. I know it’s not a daily digest of headlines.
Those rarely entice me to click through, and when they do, I can’t remember the passwords to access them.
Multiple email addresses, multiple Google Password caches – all too much.
My name is Chuck.
And I’m a recovering newshound and current blogaholic.
Maybe this is step one toward feeling less guilt andregaining agency. Maybe I can take time each day to read at least one piece in the in-box.
Before I take the drastic step of unsubscribing, let’s see if I can swing that admittedly modest goal.
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Interesting subject Chuck, I’ve never heard about the Substacks so I didn’t fully understand: would it be like a paid blog site in which you can add other stuff?
I feel that you’re giving voice to a common issue. For me its not substack specific but my cultural and news consumption as a whole. Podcasts are great but there’s only so much time available. I used to go looking for recommendations but I can’t fit anything new in without losing an old favourite or having it take time out of something else, like reading.
Similarly I used to seek out news from a range of sources, sometimes from the opposing side to see how their view. The last couple of years have worn me down. Even when it comes to sources that chime with my own views, there’s only so much I can take. I keep up with what’s going on, I want to know what’s happening and why but opinion pieces in particular have taken a hit. Learning to let go a bit has been far more beneficial than trying to absorb as much as possible.
Good luck on achieving your goal.
Relevant article from JJ back in 2024:
https://tnocs.com/its-all-too-much-navigating-the-myriad-of-musical-cultural-literary-and-other-assorted-time-consuming-activities/
“…from the opposing side to see how their view,” is what my favorite investigative reporter, North Carolina-based, advises her small cult, I mean, group of fans. It’s not about predicting the future; it’s knowing what to expect so you’re not shocked because it’s in writing.
I read Curtis Yarvin’s Substack from its inception.
Agreed. I have trouble keeping up with Stereogum and TNOCS, let alone my friends’ substacks, let alone other peoples’ substacks, let alone contributing my own brand of nonsense. That’s the problem with the Information Age. There’s so much information.
Stereogum will be easier now that I’m not allowed to comment there.
Wish you well on your endeavors, Chuck. Just remember: never click on a ‘Breaking!’ news link. Therein lies madness…
I tell younger folks that when we used to hear the phrase “Breaking News”, you immediately thought, “Well, the president is dead.”
Now, it just means that Taylor Swift is engaged.
I got not one but two “Breaking News” emails on that very announcement. I wanted to scream.
I struggle with this so much. Even the things I begin to read, I frequently quit halfway through because I just have information fatigue, and I can’t finish.
LTC, I wonder how much of it has to do with what we do/have done in the classroom. There are so many stories we juggle every day and it takes a lot of bandwidth. There’s not a whole lot of room to go around for what’s left. That’s why I’m a zombie from mid-June to July 4 or so, just reacting to the plug being pulled from about 500 energy sources.
I think you have a very valid point there. I am leaving next Tuesday for a few days of peace, quiet, and nonengagement. Can’t wait.
Thanks for the shout out Chuck!
In this age of data proliferation, it’s really REALLY hard to gain a sense of being “in the know”.
Worse yet, it’s very easy to search for only information that reinforces one’s opinion – see the echochamber on the alt-right.
I’m not sure what the answer is either.
When I went on my cruise in late October, I promised myself a detox from social media and the internet as much as possible that week. It was a great escape for me and my soul. Coming back, it took me another week just to feel like I’d caught up with whatever I missed, and it depressed me having to do so. I don’t have the answer here either, I just know that with a lot of other things in modern life, I feel something has gone very wrong and isn’t working the way it should anymore.
Tangential plug:
Take a virtual vicarious vacation and check out Ozmoe’s travel pics on Instagram.