Social media has long been the go-to place for sharing recommendations, whether it’s books on Goodreads, movies on Letterboxd, or restaurants on Yelp. But as online communities become more fragmented and privacy concerns grow, many people are rethinking how they share their personal interests.
Instead of relying on algorithm-driven platforms, more users are turning to personal spreadsheets to track and share their favorite books, shows, and experiences on their own terms.
The Rise of Microcommunities and Private Sharing
The internet is shifting away from massive, open social networks like Meta (formerly Facebook) and X (formerly Twitter) toward smaller, more privacy-conscious spaces. Platforms like Discord, Bluesky, and Mastadon are growing in popularity as people seek curated, intimate discussions instead of chaotic, ad-driven feeds.
Within these microcommunities, users are more interested in direct recommendations from friends than in platform-generated suggestions.
This shift makes traditional recommendation platforms feel outdated. Social networks prioritize engagement over accuracy, often pushing content based on popularity rather than personal preference. That’s why spreadsheets are coming back.
No need to use a Google login to share data with a site like Letterbox or Goodreads. Instead, people are using spreadsheets to track the data themselves. Whether that’s an open spreadsheet populated with a public form or a private option for a single person, there are several reasons for the shift.
And it’s not exactly new. For years, people have been using Excel and Google Sheets for budgeting. The new vogue is tracking other sorts of activities like miles run each day, movies watched during the year, or even days of sobriety.
Control, Dashboards, and Privacy
Spreadsheets may not have the social features a major activity-tracking app, but they offer something arguably more valuable: control. A personal Google Sheet or Excel file allows users to decide who sees their list, ensuring that recommendations are shared only with the intended audience, without ads or public profiles influencing visibility.
Unlike traditional social networks, which categorize content according to engagement metrics, spreadsheets give users full control over how they organize their recommendations. Custom columns, personal ratings, and review notes can be tailored exactly to individual preferences.
Beyond customization, spreadsheets offer privacy. Unlike social platforms that collect user data for targeted advertising, a personal spreadsheet remains entirely in the hands of its creator. There is no risk of information being mined for profit or used to generate unsolicited recommendations. Because of this, users can trust that their lists remain focused and relevant, free from the distractions and distortions of algorithm-driven feeds.
That applies to pre-made templates like this reading list spreadsheet. But it’s also true for completely self-built options.
After all, setting up a personal recommendation tracker is straightforward. It starts by figuring out what, exactly, the person wants to share. That might be movies, books, TV shoes, or restaurants. And from there, it’s entirely personalized.
Unlike a traditional social media platform, which shares data in a standardized way to a wide group, a personalized spreadsheet can be completely customized. Users can easily add dashboards in Google Sheets. They can make pie charts of book genres, graphs of monthly viewing hours, or quick star-ratings for restaurant visits.
A well-organized spreadsheet can be made visually appealing with color coding, filters, and sorting features that help keep things easy to navigate. Once completed, the spreadsheet can be shared selectively. Instead of broadcasting recommendations to the public, users can send a direct link to their list through private Discord servers, group chats, or text messages.
Unlike traditional social platforms, a spreadsheet does not attempt to influence opinions or suggest content based on engagement. It’s designed and controlled by the person who made it. And that’s what makes it so appealing.
The Future of Personalized Sharing
As social media continues to evolve, the way people share recommendations will change with it. More users are opting for smaller, more intentional interactions rather than broadcasting every preference to a wide audience. In this new era, spreadsheets are an unlikely but powerful tool, bringing personal curation back into the hands of individuals.
For those who have felt that recommendation apps aren’t quite right for them, it might be time to try something simpler. A personal spreadsheet offers flexibility, privacy, and control. You know, what we used to find with social media.
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