There's a movement happening quietly beneath the noise of the internet. You might have missed it because it doesn't have a hashtag or a trending page. It's called the "analog internet" revival — and it's about rejecting the algorithmic feeds, infinite scroll, and dopamine loops that dominate modern online life.
I first heard about it from a friend who runs a personal blog. Not a Substack, not a Medium publication — a real, old-fashioned blog with a custom domain, a simple design, and no comments section. She told me she's been reading more RSS feeds lately. "It's like the internet used to be," she said. "Before everything became a platform."
I was skeptical. But I was also exhausted by social media. So I decided to try it for a month. Here's what happened.
What Is the "Analog Internet" Anyway?
It's not about using actual analog technology — no one's suggesting we go back to dial-up or fax machines. It's about changing how we interact with the digital world. Instead of scrolling through algorithmically curated feeds, you choose what you want to see. Instead of engaging with platforms designed to keep you hooked, you use tools that respect your time and attention.
The core principles are simple:
- Personal websites and blogs over social media profiles
- RSS feeds over algorithmic timelines
- Plain text and long-form writing over short-form content
- Intentional consumption over passive scrolling
- Owning your content instead of renting it on platforms
It sounds romantic, I know. But it's also practical. And it's growing. The RSS reader I started using, NetNewsWire, has seen a 40% increase in users over the past year. The IndieWeb movement, which promotes personal websites as an alternative to social media, has over 10,000 active members.
The First Week: Uncomfortable and Boring
I'll be honest: the first week was hard. I deleted the Instagram and Twitter apps from my phone. I replaced them with a simple RSS reader — I chose Feedly because it's easy to use — and subscribed to about 30 blogs and websites.
It was boring. RSS readers don't have infinite scroll. They don't have algorithmically suggested content. They show you a simple list of headlines and articles in reverse chronological order. There's no dopamine hit. No surprise. Just a list of things you chose to see.
I kept reaching for my phone automatically, only to find nothing to scroll through. It was uncomfortable. I realized how many of my scrolling sessions were just habit, not genuine interest.
But by the end of the first week, something shifted. I started reading more deeply. Without the constant interruption of new content, I actually finished articles. I clicked links from one blog to another, following threads of interest instead of algorithmic suggestions. It felt like exploring, not consuming.
The Second Week: Rediscovering Writing
One of the core ideas of the analog internet is owning your content. Instead of posting on Twitter or Instagram — where you don't control the platform or the algorithm — you publish on your own website.
I've had a personal website for years, but it was mostly a portfolio. I decided to start writing again. Not for engagement or metrics, but because I wanted to. I wrote about a hiking trip I took, a book I read, a thought I'd been sitting on.