Trapped in the Social Media Matrix
Let’s be honest. Social media is like the modern world’s version of The Truman Show—except we don’t realize it. We’re happily scrolling through walled gardens, soaking up the endless (and often mindless) content the algorithm serves up like we’re in some all you can eat buffet for our attention. It’s supposed to be for us, right? Our news, our friends, our favorite influencers. But, newsflash: it’s not ours. It’s theirs.
If this sounds dramatic, it’s because it is.
What’s happening is what we call “digital sharecropping.” We’re not on neutral ground; we’re on someone else’s turf, and they’re the ones cashing in. When you’re on Instagram, you’re building content on Instagram’s terms. They own the garden; you just rent space in it.
As Antonio Pavolini said: “we’re wasting the internet.” (that book is a good read). The free internet that was once about exploration and genuine discovery has become just another high-security mall, except everything inside costs you more than money—it costs you time, and it costs you autonomy.
And yeah, sure, alternatives like Nostr or Mastodon exist. They’re open, decentralized, and all about giving control back to the users. But the average user isn’t biting. They’re more than happy with the “convenience” of corporate social media, even as it traps them in the same endless dopamine loop.
Now, this would be fine if all you wanted was a permanent distraction from life. But if you’re like me—a little skeptical of authority, a little tired of having every thought spoon-fed to you by faceless corporations—you probably crave something different.
Why I Turned to RSS: The Philosophy of Curated Freedom
Let’s get one thing clear: moving to RSS feels a bit like stepping back into the early 2000s. But it’s exactly this old-school nature that makes it liberating. RSS isn’t here to “wow” you or “engage” you. It’s here to serve one simple purpose: deliver content you actually want, when you want it, without all the fluff and manipulation.
And yes, it takes effort. The initial setup—configuring feeds, learning how to filter—isn’t exactly plug-and-play. But once it’s up and running, it’s smooth sailing. Suddenly, you’re in control of what you read and how you read it.
And that’s when you realize that freedom has a little bit of a price—but it’s worth every minute of setup. Every news story, blog post, or meme in your feed was handpicked by you. Imagine: no random high school friends oversharing, no pointless celebrity “news,” and no clickbait about things you didn’t want to know in the first place.
The Tools of Liberation – My RSS Setup
So here’s the fun part. Want to know what my “escape” looks like in practice?
- Feeder android app and a FreshRSS instance are my go-to tools for managing all my subscriptions. It’s like a personal Alfred the butler, if butlers were highly customizable and tech-savvy.
- PolitePol and RSS.app: These are perfect for turning almost anything into an RSS feed. I use them to scrape my favorite Reddit subs, top Medium articles, and even Google News search results. If there’s a site you want to follow, you can probably RSS-ify it. RSS.app has monthly cost, but worth it, because can create feed from social media profiles without hassles.
- Kill the Newsletter! Seriously, best hack I know. Instead of clogging my inbox with random newsletters, I just turn them into an RSS feed and forget about them. Now, they’re there when I want them—and gone when I don’t.
- GitHub and Google Alerts Feeds: Got a pet topic you obsess over? You can get updated on anything—without ever touching social media. Whenever a new release or article drops on a subject I care about, it lands right in my feed. No social media middlemen required.
- Since I cannot cover all options here, take a look at this .
It’s a custom setup that, yes, took time to perfect. But in return, I get what I actually want—without the BS.
Beyond Simple Feeds: AI Summarizers and Smart RSS Filtering
You want to get fancy? You can get fancy.
Tools like Summarily make it possible to turn even YouTube videos into digestible summaries, delivered in RSS format. No more sitting through 20-minute videos when a quick paragraph will do the job. Imagine scraping only the valuable insights without wasting hours on content that could have been condensed into five minutes.
Plus, AI can also help filter the best stuff from other sources like Reddit, ensuring I only get the crème de la crème from my favorite subs. Don’t want to sift through pointless posts? Automate it.
Need info from specific places? Summarize posts from Telegram channels or LinkedIn job postings based on keywords. Sure, some options are not priceless, but the return is worth it if you’re serious about reclaiming your time. Using AI against algorithms satisfied me a lot, so give it a try!
The Freedom Philosophy – Reclaiming Attention and Time
Here’s where I go full-on existential. I’m not saying that reclaiming your attention will give you instant enlightenment or make your life better. But it does give you your time back—and
in a world that monetizes attention, time is money.
Algorithms manipulate us by playing on our natural tendencies, as Nir Eyal noted in Hooked. They exploit our need for dopamine hits, our habit of seeking out validation, and our fear of missing out. They take our basic human psychology and twist it to serve someone else’s interests. Using RSS is, in a small way, a refusal to play that game.
Let’s be real. Learning to filter and curate isn’t easy. It takes discipline. It takes an active stance against the passive consumer mentality that social media encourages. It’s about putting yourself back in the driver’s seat, rather than letting someone else dictate what deserves your attention.
So… is RSS for Everyone?
Probably not.
For the average user, scrolling aimlessly on Instagram or Twitter is easier than setting up an RSS feed. And that’s fine. But if you’re someone who cares about what goes into your mind—someone who values your time and energy—it’s worth it.
For those who feel like they’re wasting time online, RSS is a step back to sanity. For those who feel exhausted by the constant barrage of low-quality information, RSS is a way to take control.
So here’s the thing: RSS isn’t just a tool. It’s a philosophy. A choice to take back control of your mind, your time, and maybe a little bit of your soul.
Or maybe I’m just an old-school internet junkie who likes having things his own way. Either way, give it a shot. You might just escape the cages, really.
