Substack is perhaps the only corner of the internet where I don’t feel exploited…yet. All the other social media apps have degenerated into something insidious, with their manipulative algorithms, AI slop, and never-ending branded content. Even 15 minutes on Instagram is a violation on my cognition; I can feel the more primitive parts of my brain being weaponised for ad revenue. The whole experience is intellectually malnourishing.
Substack on the other hand, by virtue of being long-form editorial writing first, is a less efficient pawn in the attention economy, which means it is still relatively free from everything that makes the other social media apps ‘evil’. Writing is cumbersome, so is reading- the friction of it all is not very 2026, or so I thought.
Since I joined the app in 2023, the community here has only been growing; it seems like the girlies are in fact reading and writing! Some of the most promising writers of my generation are building their careers here, and many older established writers have also found comfort in the app’s infrastructure. The ever-growing subscriber counts on some popular Substack channels clearly show that the space is thriving.
I spend most of my waking hours lurking on this app, and my many rabbit-hole explorations have acquainted me with some of the coolest writers here. Lucky for you, I don’t gatekeep! If you are new to Substack or just looking for new reads, I present to you a CoughDropReadingList to get you started:
India Unfiltered
No one understands Indian internet culture quite like Anurag Minus Verma- the guys written a whole-ass book about it (which I highly recommend). His Substack Culture Cafe further elaborates on his musings on the absurdities of contemporary India through clever, well-researched think pieces, excerpts from his book, and hilarous personal anecdotes. His dry humour and lived understanding of what life is for the average middle-class Indian gives you a vivid picture of the country’s reality.
Vogue for the neurodivergent fashion aficionado with a moral compass and a big, big heart
Blackbird Spyplane is an acquired taste- not every high-brow fashion enthusiast would include the word ‘swaggerjacking’ in their sartorial vocabulary, nor rate loafers on a ‘sauce-o-meter’. But behind the hilarious idiosyncratic tone of voice lies one of the most serious fashion writings on the internet right now. Run by journalist couple Jonah Weiner and Erin Wylie, the newsletter is truly dedicated to the craft of garment creation, sustainable production and quality design; covering more than just trends and the latest drops. The articles are all about niche labels from around the globe, deep cuts from the art and design world, and some truly unique perspectives on the industry's future.
Society through food
Most food publications are too preoccupied with sponsored restaurant reviews or long, winding think pieces on culinary trends- this type of culinary writing rarely interests me. Vittles on the other hand, uses food as a lens to dive deeper into human stories through fascinating cultural observations. From dissecting the relationship between food and kink to tracing the history of India via biscuits, every essay on here leaves me filled with wonder and often down multiple rabbit holes. They have many contributors, from leading journalists to sociologists and historians, ensuring some really high quality stuff.
OG Internet Princess
To have Rayne on this list is but obvious. She is the prototype for modern-day internet writing and the undisputed queen of the personal essay. The Internet Princess Substack is about a lot of things- it’s Rayne’s musings on everything from politics, culture, 21st-century feminism, AI and society at large. She also sprinkles in deeply personal writing on her struggles with mental health, her friendships and sexuality. Everytime I need to ground myself, or feel out of touch with reality Rayne’s writing brings me an immense amount of comfort. This is my fav substack on this list.
An essential guide to what’s good on the internet
As a genZ, I literally grew up on the internet. That should make me a digital native, but tbh I often feel lost in the juggernaut. Embedded is like my atlas- Kate Lindsey and Nick Catucci’s snappy newsletter is a one stop shop to understanding wth is going on across the web, update you on the newest (weirdest) genz slang and get some valuable foresight on where we are headed. They also do interviews with some of the coolest names in new media which are as educational as they are messy. Highly recommend.
Teethsmash
Saachi's 'about' section is still just placeholder text autogenerated by the app — their writing displays the exact opposite of this carelessness. I've been following their work on Vogue India for a while, so when I saw they joined Substack, following was a given. As an Indian woman my age navigating a big, bustling city like Bombay, their lived experience feels deeply relatable. I absolutely adore seeing the world through their eyes: brutally honest takes on womanhood, mental health, and self-esteem alongside beautiful odes to friendship, love and work. The way their anecdotes find wonder in the most mundane corners of life leaves me feeling genuinely hopeful. I can't wait to watch her grow. A true gem on this platform.
The real runway notes
If you’re a fashion girly, Brenda Weisher has definitely popped up on your Instagram feed. Draped in the drippiest all-black designer outfits, the Berlin-based fashion writer and influencer is an internet microcelebrity better known by her handle Brendahashtag, pretty much an industry household name at this point. From Rick Owens to Dior, she’s front row at the top shows across European fashion weeks, and her bylines on platforms like Vogue and 032c speak to her writing chops. Her Substack, however, is a different beast entirely: a casual, unfiltered tell-all on the fashion industry — insider secrets, PR agency disasters, rants on gatekeeping, the realest scoops. As someone who works in fashion and art PR myself, it’s a genuinely fun ride to peek into the same industries in the West and find the similarities startlingly familiar. The chaos is also dotted with glimpses into her personal life, her past, and the winding road to becoming who she is today. But even if fashion isn’t really your thing, Brenda’s writing offers something rarer: a refreshing snapshot of what contemporary internet writing can look like. Messy, casual, raw — the typos and wacky sentence structures aren’t accidents. They’re part of the poetry.
So yeah, those are my recommendations. Substack is delightful, but you can already notice the platform quietly shifting away from its original identity as a home for editorial writing toward something more resembling a conventional social media app. The recent influx of brand accounts doesn't help. I fear it's only a matter of time before this place is flooded with AI-generated content pushed by marketing teams chasing engagement. I just hope the founders hold their ground and resist letting the algorithm turn ad-centric, because what makes Substack worth being on right now is precisely what they'd be giving up. Until then, happy reading!