Years of being glued to screens and social media during the pandemic have left consumers craving more – more personalization, more substance, more mindful consumption.
Wellness culture is a popular consumer trend, and this mindset applies to people's digital lives. They want deeper engagement, content with substance, and more intentional screen time. Think long-form podcasts and essays on Substack over mindless scrolling.
A constant stream of quick-hit content has triggered what creators and experts call “brain rot”: the mental fatigue and cognitive decline linked to endless scrolling, instant dopamine, and AI-generated filler content.
Brands must align with this anti-brain-rot ethos – also referred to as “digital minimalism”.
Digital minimalism isn’t about omitting screen time entirely, but being more mindful of it.
Audiences are actively seeking out deeper community and learning online. They’re placing importance on finding spaces that feel meaningful, supportive, and aligned with their interests, which is why many of the strongest communities are emerging on platforms brands may not have explored yet.
Reddit is for community discussion, content sharing (news, memes, links, videos), and discovering niche interests through user-created forums called "Subreddits".
Reddit gives brands direct access to highly engaged, interest-driven communities. It offers rich insights into what people care about, what they’re curious about, and where their pain points lie. While Reddit’s culture and strict community norms can make brand safety a challenge, the brands that show up thoughtfully can see strong results.
Advertising on Reddit works best when it adds genuine value during the research phase of the customer journey, offering depth, expertise, and answers people are actively seeking. To succeed, content needs to feel native to the platform: contextually relevant, written in a Reddit-friendly tone, and using the acronyms, humour, and headline styles the community already speaks in.
Pictured: A snippet from the r/digitalminimalism Subreddit.
Substack is a growing platform that lets independent journalists, bloggers, content creators, and podcasters write newsletters. Its curated and informed content is seen as a welcome breakaway from quick-win, messy, algorithm-driven feeds. In 2025, the platform reached five million paid subscribers – an increase of one million since November 2024.
Substack is renowned for its raw, niche content, which offers depth and connection through creator-led communities on topics such as pop culture, social justice, and personal development.
Pictured: Global pop sensation Charli xcx recently started posting essays on Substack, sharing deepdives on her creative processes and honest thoughts about the music industry. This shows that Charli values connecting with her community and allows her fans to get to know her on a deeper level.
Partnering with creators on Substack helps brands reach highly engaged, opt-in audiences through newsletters that land directly in their inboxes, bypassing social algorithms. By sharing expertise, behind-the-scenes stories, or product updates, brands can build authority and drive conversions through direct links within posts.
In December 2025, Substack announced the launch of a pilot program for native ads. This is a major step that gives creators a streamlined way to sell sponsorships. The platform will not take a cut during the pilot, instead focusing on learning what creators and brands need before rolling it out more widely next year.
The pilot includes brands that already understand Substack’s culture, value editorial independence, and support a creator-first approach. Substack stresses this is not an ad marketplace. Creators choose and approve their own sponsorships, and Substack simply handles infrastructure and payments. For now, the pilot is limited to written content, but Substack plans to explore audio sponsorships in the future.
It may seem ironic in the era of digital minimalism, but creators are now using social media to educate their audience on digital minimalism and encourage them to adopt new habits. Some creators are promoting delayed-dopamine reward activities to their communities, like walking, knitting, and writing.
Elizabeth Jean creates a monthly "curriculum" that she shares with her TikTok following, and encourages them to follow her lead. She shares books she plans to read, classes she aims to enroll in, and recipes she pledges to perfect.
Creator Tiiiziana has created an “anti-brain rot” series for her TikTok followers. She has posted 29+ videos educating her audience about successful screen time and sharing tips on how to be more mindful with their consumption. Tiiziana has also featured in National Geographic and partnered with brands like Claude AI and BetterHelp.
UK creator Amy Stockwell is all about embracing analog creativity. She is passionate about bringing creativity back to content, encouraging her followers to get messy with junk journaling. Her content includes tips on how to junk journal and snippets from her own creations.
Jack Edwards has been championing the digital minimalism movement for over a decade, perhaps without even knowing it. He is a legacy book content creator and consistently encourages his audience to consume more literature. Beyond his book-based video content, Jack recently became a Contributing Literacy Editor at Esquire magazine, representing how digital-first creators are broadening their careers through different media types – often focusing on more analog consumption.
People want to consume less – but higher-quality – content directly from trusted creators. They want context, nuance, and to feel connected to something. In 2026, audiences will gravitate to credible and relatable creators.
The opportunity for brands is ripe, particularly on Substack, where creators are experts in their craft and offer legitimacy and a trusted voice.
We’ll see a continued shift toward long-form and “slow” content, even as short-form still dominates feeds. Gen Z and younger audiences are proving they’ll spend time reading and engaging when content offers clarity and expertise. Depth will become a differentiator in a world saturated with fast, forgettable posts.
Brands should explore their organic mentions on long-form platforms like Substack and Reddit to assess whether they align with the established creators talking about them. Learn about what their audience connects with, and build your campaign around what is already successful. This means paying attention to your creator partners’ communities' values, content formats, and the moments that cause engagement to peak.
Read more about digital minimalism and the trends shaping 2026 in our latest report.
