Critical Reading in the Age of AI
Analog Weekly No. 6: Unplug, Reconnect & Thrive at 10 AM Your Time Zone
Today, we kicked off our inaugural Analog Walk & Talk at Hampstead Heath Park in London—and it was phenomenal!
Founders, knowledge workers, and creatives strolled together, no phones in hand, sharing ideas, laughter, and genuine connection.
This pilot proved two things: (1)great ideas spring up when you log off and speak with people from different industries, and (2) building a multiethnic, multigenerational community of deep thinkers is possible!
Here was one of our prompts: What is one tool or gadget from the 90s (or your earliest decade you can remember) that you wish still existed? (p.s. I said the iPod Shuffle–please give me a screenless music experience again!!)
Attend Analog Social in London this summer– July Event Calendar Here: lu.ma/analogsocial
🌍 Join the Global Analog Hour
I haven’t forgotten about our global community! Every Saturday we want you to join us wherever you are at 10 a.m. local time everywhere, and we all log off for one hour.
Here’s how to participate:
Unplug from screens.
Spend the hour reading, writing, creating, reconnecting, or simply being present.
Share a photo by tagging us un Substack or Instagram using #AnalogSocial with what you did.
Our goal: build a worldwide tapestry of analog wellness moments—every Saturday at 10 a.m., wherever you are (and hopefully find ambassadors to launch more cities soon 👀)
🔦 This Week in Analog Wellness
In a world where AI summarizes, highlights, and even pens essays, deep, critical reading is a radical act of focus and intellectual resistance. As founders and creatives, reclaiming slow, deliberate engagement with text helps us:
Sharpen judgment, by wrestling with complex arguments.
Cultivate creativity, as ideas percolate without algorithmic shortcuts.
Sustain attention, strengthening the mental “muscle” that AI never replaces.
📚Here is my latest video on Critical Reading in the Age of AI
To galvanize this practice, I’m proposing an Analog Social Community Reading List—a curated selection of books on attention, deep work, and mindful living.
Let me know your thoughts on this?
Sample Picks (from my own shelf):
Deep Work by Cal Newport – Mastering focused success in a distracted world.
How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler & Charles Van Doren – Timeless strategies for analytical reading.
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport – Philosophy and tactics for a focused life.
Careless People by Sarah Bakewell – A fresh take on how Meta has and is continuing to reimagine our world.
The Extinction of Experience by Christine Rosen – Exploring our fading bond with the natural world.
The Revenge of the Analog by David Sax – Why analog is fighting back in a digital age.
P.S. I’ve been hunting down a copy of No Interface Is the Best Interface by Golden Krishna—if you have a legal copy or an independent bookstore link to purchase, please send it my way!
💡 Analog Moment of the Week
This week, maximize your focus by capping open browser tabs at three (if your workflow allows). Why it works:
Reduces Cognitive Load: Fewer choices means deeper engagement.
Prevents Drift: Stops you chasing every new notification or distraction.
Builds Discipline: Turns intentional focus into a habit.
Try it during your next deep-work session and notice how much more you accomplish.
Community & Updates
📣 Applications to Analog Social are officially open!
We’re preparing for the launch of the beta community for Analog Social. If you’re a solo founder, knowledge worker, or creative craving the balance between deep work and deep connections, this will be for you!
✨ Apply to join now → Apply to Analog Social
Podcast Update: The Analog Social Podcast
Quite a number of you requested the audios I put on Instagram to try to subvert the algorithm as a standalone podcast.
I’ve uploaded them here under “The Analog Social Podcast” here and will set up the RSS feed to our YouTube soon:
A note on kindness: if you’re new here, I’m Shae and I’m a PhD candidate at Harvard and the Founder of Analog Social. Most importantly, I’m a solo founder building a people-first company in public. Across all of my accounts, I get hundreds of emails/DMs a week and therefore can’t answer every single one. I’m on a mission to build a beautiful community and company which takes time, care, and attention, so please be patient and kind with me!
🪴 Final Thought
Keep the momentum going—whether you joined us at Hampstead Heath or will log off next Saturday at 10 a.m., you’re part of building the analog wellness movement. See you in your local park, café, or living room—no screens required.
– Shae (@iamshaeo)
Founder, Analog Social
Is there an Analog Wellness trend you want covered in the next edition? Comment below or hit reply.