Book Hack
Second LifeBy Amanda Hess

In a Nutshell

Journalist Amanda Hess unpacks the dystopian challenges of motherhood in the digital age.

Favorite Quote

My social feeds were stacked with videos that eroticized the secluded mother. Robed in a prairie dress, she stood in a kitchen as white as a near-death experience, whispering ASMR incantations into my ears.

Amanda Hess

Introduction

Social media and the internet are quietly responsible for many of the decisions we make on a day-to-day basis.

This is exacerbated when it comes to having kids, with would-be, expectant, and new parents being served endless content dictating the 'right' way to prepare for parenthood and raise children.

In her 2025 book, Second Life, Amanda Hess unpacks the polluting effect that the internet can have on the minds of parents.

Drawing on her memories of life before children and her experience during and after pregnancy, Hess details the emotional rollercoaster brought about by her obsessive internet use during this pivotal time.

Here are the 3 key insights from this Hack

1.
It’s becoming normalized to document every single moment of the reproductive journey
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