Hello, friends!
Have any of you figured out how to have a healthy relationship with social media? If so, please clue me in. This summer, I started the practice of deleting social apps during the week, which was good for my mental health + productivity. But then I’d hop on social media over the weekend and mainline it until my screen time report was sky high. Of course, sometimes the Internet is just too fun to sit on the sidelines. So how do you find that balance?
Anyways, let’s get into this week’s reads!
• This piece on Luke Perry’s mushroom burial shroud is the most memorable article I read all month. It’s sprawling and weird in the best ways possible. (Orion Magazine)
• I can’t wait for the release of the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album. Unfortunately, I won’t be listening to it on acid in the mountains, as Jia Tolentino revealed in her conversation with rock legend Karen O. (New Yorker)
• We might look back at the rise of farmers market sample policing as a key indicator that humanity was about to jump the shark. (Nashville Scene)
• Is this the sexiest cover song of all time? (YouTube)
• Gotta CC Joy on this one. Babe, please find this dapper fellow in Houston and befriend him for all of us. (Texas Monthly)
• As someone who adores cats, but is allergic to all things feline, I appreciate this niche feed of window kitties. (Instagram)
• This dude, Jesus Nalgas, never fails to make me smile. (TikTok)
• Doree Shafrir and Anne Helen Petersen hit so many HECK YEAH moments in their household equity discourse. (Now We’re Talking)
• My lifelong crush on Ethan Hawke hit a peak this summer, when he helped me become a Paul Newman scholar. So I loved every second of his Smartless conversation. (Apple)
• Wedding Season is the story of a doctor who’s on the lam with a woman suspected of poisoning her wedding party. I’m on episode 4 and it’s entertaining enough for now. (Hulu)
• This weekend, I think I’ll try the Kate Berlant comedy special, Cinnamon in the Wind. (Hulu)
• The history behind the invention of the iconic Trapper Keeper would make a nice companion piece to our Back to School roundup. When I close my eyes, I can still hear the sound of the Velcro seal and smell the plastic cover. (Mental Floss)
• It’s five o’clock somewhere, right? Abby’s curated a stellar collection of blender recs for your next round of margs. (Saveur)
• Sheryl Lee Ralph deserves all the awards. Wow. Wow. Wow. (YouTube)
• Finally, here’s some hearty advice to take into your weekend: Have Fun Again. (New York Times)
xo and Happy Sunday,
Toby
JenS
Trapper Keepers! I loved them. My sis and I would oooh and awe over the folder images we’d get each year. Good times. I might even have one stored in a box in our parent’s garage.
Also, I try to limit my social media time yet it’s hard. Actually how much time it consumes the day to feel “caught up” is the hard part. That and putting the phone down before bed.
Lin
I am retired and spend too much time on Facebook. It started out as a way to keep up with my grands and now I am addicted. That is why I have not joined Instagram or any other sites. Loved the kitties in the windows. Enjoy your new home. Hope Tron is doing well and adjusting.
Joy
Great link list, as always!!
I hear you on the social media thing! I am stuck in all or nothing…currently in NOTHING. After my summer-long social media break, I was supposed to come back after Labor Day but I’ve been afraid to dip my toes in the water again for fear of being pulled under. I’ve logged in on my computer a few times and like Marian said, the desktop experience of Instagram is not nearly as fun or time consuming. (And FB I only use for groups and have my newsfeed blocked).
I’m also listening to Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism and find it helpful. He recommends setting aside a certain amount of time per week or social media use (like 20 minutes). I might try that next!
Anna
Super random, but are the cords you are wearing in the picture from Toad and Co.? If so, do you love them? I’ve been debating buying them.
Joy the Baker
Oh they’re actually from Everlane!
JessicaD
Phew, that Luke Perry essay knocked me for a loop. I’ve had a hard time resolving the passage of time recently and this was a lot (in the best possible way). What incredible writing, and on a topic laser-pointed at my heart. Thanks for posting!
toby
Yes! It hit me the same way. He’s one of those celebs I still can’t believe isn’t with us anymore <3
Justine W
If you like wedding season, I think you’d also like Everything I Know About Love, which I’m 3 episodes in and also really enjoying :) Makes me very nostalgic for the years I spent living with female roommates and the specials friendships that developed.
toby
Oooh I love Dolly Alderton. Thanks for the rec—I’m going to start watching this week!
Jean
How about no social media? That’s what my husband and I do and it’s wonderful. If something is important enough it will reach us. Life is full of distractions, so try removing some of them.
Toby
Okay you win the game of Life.
Katy
I recommend Cal Newport’s “Digital Minimalism” – his guide helped me decrease the amount of time I spent on my phone and computer.
Toby
Looking it up now, thanks Katy!
Natalie
I second the recommendation for reading Cal Newport’s helpful book. Remove Instagram from your phone, it’s a game changer! Good luck.
Tina
Tina Turner and that cover song are great! To answer the question though, the sexiest cover song of all time is D’Angelo’s version of “Feel Like Making Love.”
Toby
Ahhh ok that’s a tie :)
Marian
The social media trick for me has been to NOT use it on my phone at all. On desktop, the experience is just unpleasant enough to make it only fun for a few minutes. I can still use it if I need to, but no phone apps means my screen time is like 30 minutes a day (I don’t have the Gmail app either). I use what I need to, on my laptop, then put it away. No way I’m going to take out my laptop just to scroll Instagram!
I also really really loved Marie Forleo’s program, Time Genius, to help me take control and have some friggin peace around my digital life. HIGHLY recommend!
toby
Taking email off your phone is so hardcore and brilliant. I love it.
Angela
I do this too! I still have Instagram on my phone because I occasionally like to post, but I try to only view other accounts on my laptop. I still spend plenty of time on Insta (and a little on FB too) but I don’t get sucked in in the same way. (For me, the biggest trap is the suggested posts, where I click on one and the next thing I know it, 30 minutes have passed and I’ve been watching the dumbest, most irrelevant things.)
I also don’t follow many people that aren’t friends/family. I still look at those accounts, but I have to be intentional about it and actually pull them up on my laptop. It’s fun to occasionally say, “Oh, I wonder what X is up to?” and go have a look, but I’m not getting sucked into their lives multiple times a day.
Toby
Yes, cutting down on the number of people I follow has helped a lot!
D Harris
Thanks so much for the Tina Turner! A fabulous way to start my Sunday.
Toby
Tina makes everything better, huh?
Laura Weismann
I truly understand ads and all that but the second I open up your post I have three ads that pop up at the same time, I’m glad you’ve moved I love Tron and I’ll keep reading
Meghan
Try an ad-blocker!! Truly a game changer!!! It makes a big difference to the internet browsing/article reading experience.