I joined Substack, among other reasons, because it was a text-based platform that claimed to take pride in reviving writing and the broad circulation of ideas at a time when things on Twitter were getting complicated.

Substack attracted many writers and authors whose writing is in their DNA. There are people making money from writing here. Most of them already had an audience, a name, and a spot on The New York Times bestseller list on their résumés, but it is amazing anyway.

But it also attracted writers like me at the start of their journey. Seeing that a world of writing was still possible felt like an illusion. Over these 20 months on Substack, I’ve been meeting people from all over the world who love writing, have a project or life goal, and want to share their ideas with like-minded people. That’s very fascinating. I’ll recommend some of my favorites at the end of this post.

That’s why I get frustrated with every new email from Substack announcing some new feature, like yesterday’s: “Introducing live video in the Substack app.”

The last thing I ever wanted on Substack was live streaming. Every week, Substack becomes more like a social network, drifting away from its original promise.

It’s a sign of the times, I know. I assume that every new feature is studied before being launched, and if it’s released, it’s because there’s demand. Authors want to reach their audience in other ways, such as through live videos, podcasts, etc.

But couldn’t Substack have been a place of resistance, as they claimed in the beginning? There’s no resistance when money starts to take over. Over the years, Substack has received new financial investments. Investors want to profit. Profit today requires user attention. It’s essential to keep people on Substack longer. Nothing in the last 20 years has proven more effective at stealing our attention than the algorithms and tools of social networks.

It may be an illusion. There’s no space for just text in today’s world. Reading is, for me, the most effective form of learning. It’s that old cliché that reading transports us to other worlds. The most intelligent people I’ve met had one thing in common: they read a lot. It’s no coincidence.

Social media makes us dumber, and Substack has decided to follow the zeitgeist of stupidity. It’s the capitalist logic —stupidity has always generated profit. And, well, I’m using an incredible tool practically for free, so who am I to complain? They do what they want. But I have my place in line to protest: I still believe in writing and reading and will fight to keep space for it alive, even if for a niche.

Whoever wants to help me in this herculean mission, share my Substack around. I’d be happy to share yours as well.