Say it with me: MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS.
You cannot tell me that the algorithm isnāt literally (and I do mean literally) damaging our brains.
I open up Instagram and LinkedIn (and I donāt even go near TikTok) to see the following in this order:
- āI asked ChatGPTā
- Frogs doing frog things
- Wars
- Ads for plastic shit from Temu
- Sabrina Carpenter opinions (at the same intensity as wars)
- Manufactured outrage about a vulnerable minority
- āI proposed to my girlfriend and this is what it taught me about B2B marketingā
- Advertising telling me Iām ugly in 31 different ways
- Humanitarian crises
All in delicious 20-second soundbites as carne por la mƔquina.
Distraction and sales-fuelled madness as the world burns, in order for a few people to profit at the expense of literally everyone else.
This aināt about digging at the rich, either (well, the billionaires can suck it) ā this is about changing things.
I want more wealth in the hands of people like us, and it is not going to happen while weāre all distracted by insufferable algorithmic bullshit and systems that are built to control us.
So I have a suggestion.
Sign up to hear from people who have important and/or joyful and/or helpful and/or inspirational things to say, in a way you can guarantee youāll hear from them.
Best way to do that?
Email. Still.
Email marketing is far from dead.
In fact, I predict itās going to be one of the most important ways to share information as we lose more and more control over how the media feeds us what it wants to feed us.
Here are some bonus Friday Goodie Bag links for you to check out and maybe sign up to:
- Yinka Ewuola on being rich and rested (follow her on LinkedInĀ and find out how to get on her email list there)
- āSharon Hurley HallĀ on antiracism and saving the damn world
- āSophie BlackmoreĀ on marketing with heart (just WAIT for her book)
- āAustin KleonĀ on creativity and joy
- āJillian HessĀ on other peopleās commonplace books and journals
- āLaura ChamberlainĀ on resilience
- āSophie LeeĀ on self-expression and becoming known
- āAsh AmbirgeĀ on all sorts of independent business delights
- āMarc ThomasĀ on marketing in the most positively human way
- āSamantha HarmanĀ on being the Woman Who (Does Amazing Things)
- āKatie SkeltonĀ on email marketing
- And a bonus:
Get on the Positive News mailing list because the world ISNāT all terrible. Some of it is wonderful.
Yay!
This way, we retain control of our attention (somewhat) and decide what weāre going to feed into our psyches.
Happy reading!
And happy writingā¦
And now, hereās what Iāve gathered for this weekās Friday Goodie Bagā¦
Will the real Bin Shady please stand upā¦
āMeet the Singing Binman who will bring some joy into your Friday and a little song into your heart.
These obituaries for teenage girls who actually died when they said they were dyingā¦
McSweeneyās is always good for some comedy writing, and this made me snort. You know how people (usually teenage girls letās be honest) say āomg iām dyingā quite often? Well, hereās the aftermath of thatā¦
This interesting piece about philanthropy vs remittances
Western donations and philanthropy aimed at āunderdevelopedā countries gets a lot of attentionā¦ but hardly anyone knows that the biggest donors are the diaspora themselves. Check out this really interesting article about the white saviour narrative and the difference between philanthropy and remittances.
This dude who gives his paintings ridiculously elaborate names
I am absolutely here for naming things in ridiculous and extravagant ways ā like this artist who paints sublime pictures of birds and then calls them stuff like “Fool Me Once, Shame On You ā Fool Me Twice, And I Will Purposefully Utilize The Foundational Tool Of Democracy To Bring An End To The American Experiment, And With It, Democracy Itselfā
This amazing chef who had no formal training but did have star quality
Edna Lewis was the granddaughter of a formerly enslaved man (yes, itās that close to living memory) and she left a lasting legacy in one of New Yorkās most beloved restaurants. Her story is really cool, shows you donāt need all the advantages in life to do something wonderful, and she wrote a cookbook too!
Thanks to Sharon Hurley-Hallās SHHARE group for this one!
What Iām reading
Right now Iām on holiday, so I wrote this in the past. Past me, though, is pretty sure Iām still working my way through The Expanse books! Space opera ftw!
What Iām writing
Iām working on some comedy bits on the beach. And Iāve got my watercolours out to paint some low-quality beach scenes. Woo hoo!
Word of the day
Spatula.
Honestly I just like the feel of the word in my mouth.
Quote of the day
āI tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and donāt let anyone tell you different.ā āKurt Vonnegut
How are you gonna fart around this weekend?
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