One post was from a creator you follow. The next was a video with 17 likes. Then someone you've never heard of. Then a video from nine months ago. At some point you stop and ask yourself:
Why am I seeing this?
Thinking back it hasn’t always been like that. The internet was something for you to explore. Yet at some point, the internet quietly became something that was served to you. Optimised to serve you content an algorithm thinks you might like, optimised for brand partners, optimised to keep you hooked.
When did we stop choosing what we read?
The Internet We Used to Browse
Bookmarking was something incredibly important in the early days of the internet. You bookmarked websites that you found while exploring, forums for special hobbies you shared with others, blogs that you found to be interesting. If something appeared on your screen, it was usually because you had decided to go there. If you bookmarked it, it was something you actually wanted to come back to.
With social media and its algorithms this trend died down slowly. Today this discovery is outsourced to recommendation systems designed to maximise attention. You feed an algorithm with content you like, the algorithm feeds you back with new stimulating content. It is an everlasting cycle.
Platforms quickly learned that constantly changing content keeps us engaged. Every swipe promises something unexpected. The mesolimbic system, our brain’s reward pathway, is heavily involved in processing novelty, reward and habit reinforcement. It also plays a major role in habit formation, which helps explain why many people end up scrolling mindlessly for hours or develop unhealthy social media habits.
Of course not all of it is bad. Everyone has the option to express themselves, showcase their hobbies and special interests, share knowledge, skills and tips on how to beat that one specific level you have been struggling with. Many people have started yearning for a slower type of internet again. And this is where RSS comes into play.
Choosing Instead of Being Chosen
RSS (= Rich Site Summary) is in internet history terms a fairly old technology. It has been introduced in March 1999 by Netscape and was intended to allow users to get a structured overview of reoccurring messages, news and updates from various websites. It was used to easily share and aggregate web content.
Even though RSS seems like an ancient technology, it has become more interesting than ever. It allows you to craft your own personal front page with content you really care about. It is chronological, nobody is ranking stories, nobody is inserting engagement bait, nobody decides what deserves your attention.
Years earlier, I had already heard of this abbreviation but never really thought of paying any attention to finding out what RSS offers. For those who don’t know how RSS works I would like to give you a simple explanation: Many websites expose an RSS feed. Subscribe once in a reader, and every new article quietly appears in your personal timeline. In general RSS almost feels like bookmarking evolved.
My Quiet Corner of the Internet
I was always interested in the news and I’m also subscribed to a local newspaper, yet what bothered me is that said newspaper never really touched ground on many topics I am really interested in. I liked interest specific posts on social media, but these also got mixed with memes, cat videos and random stuff on my timeline. Nothing felt really worth saving and resurfacing. This is when I found out about RSS.
By now, it has probably become apparent that I am a huge fan of well-designed software. While browsing the App Store, I stumbled upon 
Reeder Classic, a beautifully crafted RSS reader with all the functionality you could need.
Reeder Classic allows you to subscribe to RSS feeds, categorise them into folders, archive articles and keep the focus on the content itself. When first setting it up, I felt like I was building my own newspaper with all the topics that interested me.
To share a few blog examples from my personal feed collection there is:
- The Works in Progress shares wonderfully made insights on world events, topics you know, but have never really thought about.
- David Heinemeier Hansson (CTO at 37signals) shares opinions on tech trends and current world happenings
- Railway Blog for engineering insights
- The Zapier Blog for app, automation and productivity recommendations (PS: Glasscat also offers RSS)
What I found especially great about RSS is that it's finite.
When you're done, you're actually done.
Nothing new appears until one of the blogs you follow publishes another article, or until you subscribe to a new feed. Also blogs shift the focus away from trends and give individuals a bigger stage. For me all of this feels like a welcome brake on the overstimulating pool of infinite social media content.
Reading Changes Too
Instead of constantly reacting, you start reading intentionally. Getting a notification for a new blog post feels like something to look forward to and not like a constant buzz of never ending social media pings. Instead of chasing updates, you spend more time with fewer articles that actually feel like not a waste of time. It feels intentional, because you audit what is worth your attention.
That tiny feeling of completion has almost disappeared from modern platforms. Every minute, hundreds of hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. Every day, millions of new videos appear online. Trying to keep up has become impossible.
RSS doesn't solve that problem.
It simply reminds you that you don't have to.
It's Not About Going Back
Me advocating on totally quitting or deleting social media would be hypocritical, this post isn’t about deleting every single social media app. Algorithms are genuinely useful for discovering new people, new ideas and sharing funny memes with friends.
But discovery alone doesn’t have to become the single source of consumption. There is value in having one place where your attention isn’t constantly negotiated and fought for. For me reading blogs and RSS feeds has become some sort of a calm morning ritual. Waking up, making coffee and checking if any of the blogs I follow posted a new article I find interesting. It also showed me that this slower side of the internet is still thriving and offers hidden gems you wouldn’t normally hear about in short form content on social media.
Conclusion
Unsubscribing from the algorithm doesn't mean leaving the internet behind. It means choosing a small part of it for yourself again. It means stepping on the brakes for just a few minutes per day and reading awesome content you most likely wont find on TikTok. It allows you to consume intentionally, because you audit what is worth your attention.
Many of us became too hooked on the constant rush of dopamine forced upon you by algorithms that just try to predict what you might like, while sprinkling some advertisements in between.
The internet never stopped producing thoughtful blogs, independent writers and personal websites. Many of us simply stopped visiting them.
