Instagram is trying to kill the only good thing about the internet these days

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     August 23, 2022 Last night, I finished my third book since giving birth nearly one year ago. That's a tragically low number, particularly for someone who generally has turned to reading as a necessary balm against our world's cascading messes. But try having a kid, an event that quickly collapses the concept of free time, and suddenly you develop a serious allergy to anything that isn't faceplanting on the bed—or at least I did. The first two books, which I'll leave unnamed, were meh. But this most recent, [Stay True by Hua Hsu](, finally hit differently. Brimming elegantly with nostalgia and grief, Hsu's forthcoming memoir is a simple yet glittering examination of friendship when you're at the age of trying so desperately to form some kind of identity. It filled me with memories of being a bored kid on a summer night, safe in the suburbs but sitting on the verge of immense change. I often lament about the internet on here, wishing for days when it was fun, mostly harmless, and exciting. And at various points, Hsu recalls similar moments: surfing AOL chatrooms, a time when receiving an email felt like a true personal gift. (You can read an [excerpt]( of Hsu's book over at the New Yorker. Pre-order it [here](.) BeReal, the Paris-based photo-sharing app, is nothing like those halcyon online days. But lately, it's the only corner of the internet that I feel at least sort of excited to engage with. [As I wrote earlier today,]( BeReal is deliriously stupid and simple to use. My selfies there are some of the ugliest photos I’ve ever committed to the internet. But now, [Instagram appears to be reeling its vulturish head](. I'm not totally sure why I'm so pathetically annoyed by this development, but I tried exploring why [here](. I think the main takeaway for me though will be to keep the book momentum going, forget "the algorithm," and find more gems like Stay True. —Inae Oh Advertisement [Jeff Koon]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Georgia Federal Judge Blocks Lindsey Graham’s Legal Maneuvering to Avoid Subpoena]( The senator is scheduled to testify before a grand jury next week. BY ISABELA DIAS [Trending] [Instagram is trying to ruin the only app that doesn't make me want to die]( BY INAE OH   [Big boy puffs chest]( BY JACOB ROSENBERG   [Liz Cheney is set on keeping "election deniers" out of office—including Donald Trump]( BY JACKIE FLYNN MOGENSEN   [The writers of reality need to chill: Republicans keep posting KKK hoods]( BY SAM VAN PYKEREN Advertisement [Jeff Koon]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [The incredible, rage-inducing inside story of America's student debt machine]( Why is the nation’s flagship loan forgiveness program failing the people it’s supposed to help? BY RYANN LIEBENTHAL [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755