Advice | Columns

As social norms loosened, so did the advice. Columns like Savage Love broke barriers by discussing LGBTQ+ issues and sex with a raw, often controversial honesty that older columns avoided. Why We’re Hooked (Even if it’s Not Our Problem)

Psychologists suggest we don't just read these for the answers; we read them for the . Advice Columns: A Window into Human Nature for Writers ADVICE COLUMNS

The Agony and the Ecstasy: Why We Can’t Stop Reading Advice Columns As social norms loosened, so did the advice

Here is a look into why this format has survived for centuries and how it’s evolving today. A Quick History of "Dear Someone" Advice Columns: A Window into Human Nature for

Also worthy of inclusion is the work of Cheryl Strayer, writing as an anonymous advice columnist “Dear Sugar” for The Common 2009- Substack·Addicted to Writing How Online Advice Columns Teach Us To Tell Our Own Stories

The advice column didn't start with glossy magazines; it began in 1690 with , which answered reader questions on everything from botany to premarital sex.

From the 17th-century coffeehouses of London to the chaotic threads of Reddit, humans have always had an insatiable hunger for one thing: knowing what to do with their messy lives. Whether you call them "Agony Aunts," "Dear Abby," or "AITA," advice columns are more than just self-help—they are a window into the human condition.