Edition #152: My Favorite Strange Corners of the Internet
Plus, what it's like to be 13 today, a gorgeous studio apartment, and the salad I can't stop eating
A Note From the Editor
It’s hard to imagine there was ever a world without the internet. It’s equally hard to imagine the way the world has been drastically altered in the 30 years since the internet became publicly accessible. People my age, the last of the generations not entirely raised on internet culture, cannot quite fathom a world entirely free of the freedoms our smartphones grant. Our coming of age happened as social media was just taking off; middle school years colored by custom MySpace profiles and frequent AIM chats. We were driven to sleepovers by our parents with printed MapQuest directions in tow—adolescent lives aided by the internet, but not quite dominated by it.
Today is an entirely different story. I don’t envy the generations of kids growing up in front of screens, those toddlers who seem to intuitively know how to work an IPad the way kids know how to go down a slide at the playground. I can’t imagine what a disaster my middle school experience would’ve been with the added layers of access and pressure aided by the Smartphones, yet I cannot claim to be ungrateful for the role the internet has played in my life. The internet got me my first big time internship at a glitzy PR firm in New York; it is the reason I’m able to have a career as a writer whose work is, for now, mostly published on the internet. The internet! Can’t live with her, can’t live without her.
Even in my current off-Instagram-era, I spend a lot of time on the internet. I’ve explored various corners of the strange, infinite digital world in which we all partially reside. I occasionally think about how a person’s browser history is like a peek into the deep corners and closets of their home—maybe it’s full of dead bodies and spooky shit, but you’ll likely find some endearing relics in there as well. I remember listening to an episode of Hidden Brain years ago about the revealing nature of people’s Google search history and how useful that data would be, could it be leveraged. Googling certain symptoms together, for example, is a strong indicator of whether a person might end up with a particular disease. The way we use the internet, both on public facing platforms and in our private time, is wildly revealing.
In that vein, I bring you a list of the strange little corners of the internet that I love. I’m not talking about websites I frequent or newsletters I regularly use for inspiration and content curation for this newsletter. No, I’m referring to the very specific-to-me places that bring me joy for one reason or another. In the age of heavy internet criticism in which I often participate, it’s something like fun to remember there are odd little corners of the World Wide Web that are quite lovely and personal. Here are a few of my personal favorites.
A Facebook Group For Girls Who Can’t Surf Good | When I logged off Instagram earlier this year, I did not restrict myself on Facebook—mostly because I don’t use Facebook, but also because I love Facebook Groups. Ever since I discovered a very-active East Village neighbors group back in the COVID days, I’ve been sold on the magic of Facebook Groups. They’ve got the scale of a major social media platform, but the hyper locality social media has been missing in recent years.
Recently, I joined a Facebook Group that has brought me an obscene amount of joy: Girls Who Can’t Surf Good. Learning to surf often feels impossibly hopeless and frustrating, and surfing as a woman is a particular experience since the sport is still heavily male dominated. I imagine this is what it feels like to have mom friends—we’re all bonded over this one thing, and people who aren’t also experiencing this one thing aren’t so interested in hearing about it, which is fair!
The other day, someone asked whether they should even bother to attempt to learn surfing as an overweight 35 year old, to which the group’s resounding reply was “yes, absolutely.” Comments full of tales of starting to surf at 40, 56, 65 from women with all different body types and fitness levels. After a few discouraging sessions, someone might ask the group for encouragement or tips on how to deal with aggression in the water. I’ve already learned so much about surfing from this group but also, I’ve realized what a lovely, useful tool these groups can be. Safe digital spaces to connect and share knowledge? As mister Tim Berners-Lee initially intended? Who knew!
A Very Christian Newsletter | This feels important to clarify on the onset: I am by no means a practicing Christian. I was raised lazily Catholic and consider myself non-secularly spiritual. I know very little about the Bible, I pray every night to “God” but am not sure who they are, and I feel like reincarnation is much more likely than heaven. Still, this newsletter from Christian influencers Tori and Chad Masters is one I eagerly read every month.
During my brief stint as a pageant girl in college, both Chad and Tori were involved in the circuit—Tori was a competitor in Miss Florida during my year, a title she won a few years later, and Chad was the reigning “Mister USF” the year before I completed in our college’s scholarship pageant. I don’t know if they met through pageants or what, but I do know a few things about their life after following their newsletter for a few years: they have a new baby, they live in Florida, and they love God. I appreciate their internet couple hustle. Every time I read their monthly newsletter, they’re launching a new podcast, a new YouTube channel, whatever it is. I enjoy being gently invested in these two semi-strangers. I like seeing their quintessentially millennial, picture perfect content—the soft beige-hued home, the Amazon affiliate link recs, all of it.
The Comments Section On YouTube Music Videos | Comment sections have long been a favorite internet corner of mine. I don’t like when they’re aggressive and mean as they often are on certain news websites, and I don’t particularly enjoy the overly intellectualized comments on various New York Times articles. I prefer low stakes comments on platforms like YouTube, which feel like the digital equivalent of a blue collar town square. The best comments are on music videos or lyric videos. These are the most revealing, most human comments. Sometimes they’re incredibly sad, sometimes they’re funny, but always they’re sincere.
An Almost-Too-Perfect Fitness YouTuber | When I first discovered German fitness YouTuber Pamela Reif during COVID, I was convinced she was a robot. The hair, the outfits, the body, the scenic backgrounds—but also, the way this girl can do a crazy difficult workout that kills Jason Derulo and come out of it entirely unscathed. It would be easy to hate on this girl for her specific brand of physical perfection, but after years of doing her workouts I’m convinced she’s a sincere, lovely person. Despite her horrible musical choices, I still do her abs and booty workouts regularly. They never get easy.
Honorary Mention: Find My Friends } I don’t know if we’d consider this a corner of the internet, but it is a function of the iPhone. As the fifth of seven children, I didn’t grow up with anyone tracking my location—technologically or otherwise. I used to joke that I could sleep over my friend’s house for multiple nights in a row and my parents wouldn’t even notice. So when, years ago, a dear friend of mine asked to start following my location, I was delighted. She’d text me now and again, “I see you’re at the park, isn’t it so nice out?” Or when I saw her, she’d mention she checked my location when I was traveling to make sure I made it to my destination safely. To know someone cared about my whereabouts felt, feels, like a gift.
These days, I track a handful of my closest friends and family members who are comfortable with it. I love opening my phone and seeing their sweet little faces scattered around the world, I love seeing clusters of friends hanging out together in New York or elsewhere, I love knowing where my mom is at all times. Creepy? Perhaps. Loving? Most certainly!
Cheers, my dears and as always thanks for reading. I’d love to hear about the strange little corners of the internet you most enjoy. Have a wonderful, internet free weekend! I’ll be embracing my new life in LA; surfing, visiting friends on the East Side, and buying copious amounts of produce at the Farmers Market. Treat yourself to some pumpkin-flavored nonsense this weekend. Watch a movie! Order some new underwear!
Three Pieces of Content Worth Consuming
What It’s Like To Be 13 Today. Fitting for today’s essay topic, this incredibly well done interactive piece follows the life of three 13 year old girls in today’s digital age. It includes text messages, voice notes, the whole nine yards. Unsurprisingly, their teen lives revolve around their phones, and the constant connectivity combined with typical teenage angst was wild to read about.
A Farewell (A Poem). Short, simple, beautifully composed. Perfectly fitting for the transition over to fall, when leaves begin to change colors, new routines begin to take hold, and we collectively prepare for the silence of winter.
This Manhattan Studio Apartment is a Love Letter to Women. Once you’ve lived in a space whose aesthetic you love, it’s hard to go back to the generically decorated or stark-white-disguised-as-decor vibes. I was recently reminded of how much I value the aesthetics of my space, and seeing the way this fabulous little studio apartment is done up made me smile. I love the warm, sensual vibes, the unabashed femininity. Dreamy.
Perhaps You Should… Make This Salad
I know what you’re thinking—a salad? How good could it be? And I’m here to tell you, folks, it is so very good. I stumbled across this recipe earlier this week when I was starving and decided I needed to give it a try. Despite being about 90% dairy free, I bit the bullet and bought cotija cheese for this one after reading that its minimal processing isn’t bad for lactose free people. I’ve now had this salad every day this week and I already want to make it again. The best way to do it is to make it the day before and let it soak in the juice overnight. It’s a bit on the soggier side when you do that, but still crunchy and incredibly flavorful. Yum!
**Bonus Content** (Put The Bees Back In Their Cages)
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I’d listen to any story this girl told. Why is she so captivating (and hilarious)?
A Quote From A Book You Should Read:
“To Marx, it seemed foolish not to love as many things as you could.”
-Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
This newsletter is best served with a side of conversation, so drop your opinions, reflections, and thoughts in the comments below and let’s get to talking.
Or, share the most thought-provoking piece from today’s edition with someone you love, then call them up to discuss, debate, and percolate. As a wise woman once said, “Great minds discuss ideas.
Perfect quote!