From Social Media to Interest Media: A Reset in Consumption

By Rhett Butler

Recently, I had a chilling realization.

After executing social media strategies for work, I would instinctively return to the same platforms—only to immerse myself in an endless scroll of “entertainment.” It felt harmless, but what I was consuming wasn’t nourishment. It was distraction.

The best way I can describe it? Like eating chips. Each video clip was a chip. Each full-length video was a bag. And in one sitting, I had devoured a grocer’s aisle worth of content—leaving me bloated with noise but starved of substance.

The result? Stagnation. My confidence waned, my focus drifted, and I remembered a truth I had conveniently forgotten: you are what you consume.

That was the turning point. I decided to treat my attention as a diet—curated with intentionality. My reset began with swapping passive “social” content for what I now call interest media. Today, my playlists begin with searches like:

• Intellectual conversations

• Positive affirmations

• Provocative educational talks

Now, instead of spiraling into rabbit holes, I’m filling my mind with content that uplifts, challenges, and expands.

We are all sponges. And what fills us matters. Will it be stagnant water or mental alkalinity? I’m choosing the latter.

Because in branding, in leadership, and in life—the stories we consume often shape the stories we tell.

#BrandStrategy #Leadership #Mindfulness #DigitalWellness #GrowthMindset