Media Diet 101
Happy Sunday folks
Preface = This post is not East Coast forward. Like I mentioned there’s gonna be a pretty wide variety of post content including general lifestyle and trend stuff which this post falls into. I do have some really exciting Halifax partnerships and features coming up which I’m so excited about so stay tuned.
Today I'm gonna break down the infamous media diet and share mine with the world. To set the stage, the best description I found for a media diet is “a collection of information and entertainment media that an individual or group consumes regularly, essentially encompassing all the different types of media they engage with like television, radio, newspapers, social media, and online content, similar to how a food diet describes the variety of foods someone eats.” Like it says, this can be anything from podcasts to movies to newspapers, and even the ads you see on billboards - really anything media-related that your mind is digesting. Not shockingly, this plays a huge role in our overall well-being. How can you feel good if you're watching 12 hours of reels daily about how the world is ending. On the flip side, how can you stay informed and be aware of the world around you when you're in an echo chamber, or, simply scrolling through TikToks about useless things. Balancing entertainment, knowledge, and personal interests is how I frame my media diet, and I believe to be a successful equation for doing so.
Disclaimer: my screen time is disgusting, and if you have any tips for that issue hmu but for the sake of this post I am going to separate the screen time topic from the what you are consuming with that time topic, especially as media diet consists of physical media as well. With high screen time, it's extra important to me that what I am consuming is providing me with informational value and contributing positively to my mental health. I am not going to make any claims of perfection but it is something I work hard to achieve and curating a daily routine for my media diet also helps keep things consistent and ensures I don't go off the rails (hello doom scrolling). I will also admit when it comes to the physical side of my media diet I could incorporate more, but I also will say I don't necessarily see a problem with reading an online news article or audiobook as opposed to simply the physical copy of the same thing. I do love a good cozy book session, and have a great reading nook in my new APT which has been begging me to make use of it.
I feel like my media diet is super niche and combines my love for politics/current affairs with my passion for food, fitness, fashion, and interior design. My interests are kind of on the polar extremes of academia and global affairs to the more creative modernist side of things so curating all this without exposing myself to too much info is shockingly hard. To me, this goes to the core of what a media diet should be: not only an expression of how you see yourself but how you see your future self and providing you with pathways/information to get there. I found out about some of the most incredible opportunities through social media and media consumption and if you’re looking in the right places media is a great pathway to connect you to like interests - for my Halifax peeps @hfxnoise is great for this.
As far as social media goes, I only watch TikTok to keep me entertained while doing cardio and delete it off my phone when I’m done which works but there are def more productive things I could do during this time, for example, write posts for this blog. I have mixed opinions on TikTok, and have gotten some really good life tips (including resto recommendations and travel spots) from it but also recognize the brain rot that comes with it, and I have experienced a notable loss of attention span which I HATE.
With all this in mind, I wanted to share some (most) of my media diet. I can't recommend these enough for entertainment especially if you may find some of the same things as me interesting. These are all great options that will stimulate and entertain without filling the brain with garbage.
Podcasts
Retail Therapy by The Sunday Scaries: Obviously had to start with this. Hard to describe but is my Sunday morning ritual podcast. My eyes and ears are always glued, it's largely a men’s style - aesthetic - trend - food podcast with integrated video (watch on YouTube for the best experience). It has such a cult following among both men and women young and old and is a bit of a podcast ecosystem with memes on IG and newsletters.
Goop podcast: Not a Gwentyh Paltrow stan but the podcast is good IMO, features some eye-opening interviews focused on health wellness, and spirituality. Also, some interesting nutrition fads that I don’t condone but are worth hearing about.
Dewy Dudes: “Where personal care is the conduit to conversation” men’s lifestyle with a focus on skincare. They recently upped their posting frequency a bunch and are bringing in skincare experts/influencers, who talk a lot about cosmetics, plastic surgery, brands, and influencing more broadly.
Second Life - A podcast dedicated to women who have switched careers and are doing amazing things such as beekeeping, filmmaking, and engineering. It’s hosted by the founder of @whowhatwear Hilary Kerr and also has episodes dedicated to that side of things i.e. fashion interviews and coverage.
Throwing Fits: Bascually entirely men’s fashion but with a humorous and unserious twist. They mainly do interviews of designers and influencers with every episode featuring a fit check. The eps are also an hour and a half long which is the best for gym sesh and it’s great for hype up. I find out about so many cool designers and influencers through the hosts which expands my sphere of knowledge. V inappropriate though so be warned.
The Customer Service Podcast: Hosted by the good folks at @shopcanoeclub in Colorado - this pod is men's fashion-forward with some banter, young adulthood tips and vibes, and also what's going on in the world of men's style.
YouTube
CBC The National: I watch this like clockwork every morning and it's primarily how I consume my news. It runs for 45 minutes live in the evening and they post the full episode to YouTube the next morning. It is essentially a rundown of global affairs with a focus on Canadian news, featuring top stories and segments of the day. It also always ends with a fun Canadian moment to lighten things up which is nice.
Open Door by Architectural Digest: Okay this one is self explanatory but I can't stop watching them even if I know what the person's house looks like already and sometimes I rewatch episodes they’re great background noise.
Random Wall Street Journal / Economist / General knowledge videos: Great for understanding the economics and logistics behind the brands and chains you love, as well as for grasping the economic side of current affairs in language anyone can comprehend. Also sometimes I watch long form food show content like Anthony Bourdain or Infatuated NYC which kinda relates to this like random information genre of YouTube.
Emma Chamberlain content: This could go in podcasts as well cause I listen to Anything Goes a lot but Emma's YouTube videos are where it’s at. Also love looking at her media campaigns, interviews, and coverage of award shows.
Huckberry: Super straight male coded but I still am obsessed with their videos. Lots of variation in their posts some cool documentaries about off road travel as well as lots of house features, and men forming cool businesses or doing cool things.
Books
Biographies: Honestly my favourite kind of books. I love hearing the experiences and advice from real people, especially those in my industry such as political leaders and diplomats, but also from those outside it whose perspective I would never otherwise get. I loved Obama's book: A Promised Land as well as Chris Hadfield's book: An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, and I am just starting Values by Mark Carney ifykyk.
Self-help: Will not apologize for this. Yes some are cringy and state the obvious but sometimes it’s nice to have the lessons reaffirmed. I’m also honestly not the biggest fan of fiction so my options are limited but Atomic Habits was actually quite entertaining as was the Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins.
Magazines: I love magazines. Sometimes they’re the perfect light read and the library always has magazine sections. I can just sit and read the latest version of political magazines such as the New Yorker, also more fun lifestyle and travel ones. There are a lot of great Atlantic Canada magazines too such as Saltscapes and Curated, as well as the Discover Halifax specials.
I want to get more into email lists and Substacks, and have been loving @nolandanielwhite’s, but have not yet taken the time to gather the information on who exactly I want flooding my email inbox as I feel like I need to tread carefully there. I’ve also seen people doing research as a hobby which I don't know if i've just done too much research as a real-life thing but doesn't appeal to me, but as a societal trend I think is amazing. I also realized I didn't mention shows or movies cause I’m not the biggest watcher but when I do it’s usually things I’ve already watched as background noise or some random adult cartoon which is embarrassing to admit but hey. I have been watching the Handmaid's Tale intensely. It's so scary and vomit-inducing but good cinematography and messaging. I do also enjoy going to the movies, and am so thankful to live close a Cineplex. I have a wide range of new movie theatre movies I am willing to see I’ll watch just about anything tbh but the solo movie experience is really a form of self-care for me there’s just something about not having anything else to think about for two hours but that movie. As an aside I can’t wait to be able to eat movie theatre popcorn again.
I am not innocent when it comes to scrolling mindlessly. I am working on doing it less, but I do do it with slight levels of intent which reduces its harm. For example, I often scroll through the Facebook marketplace where I can find vintage items, clothes, and even future apartments to bookmark for when I'm hunting. I will also scroll Pinterest for aesthetic inspiration, recipes, and trend monitoring, the same goes for my Instagram explore page which I love coming back to to find new brands, fun food and restaurants, and unique places. Honestly, the media we consume is more integral to our lives than you think and in an age of negativity, misinformation, biases, and polarized bubbles picking relevant and credible news sources and wholesome positive content streams that make you feel good is vital. Your media diet is a place to learn and be educated but also a place to be entertained and explore your interests. Balancing these, and fitting your consumption into a healthy non-media-related daily schedule is IMO going to be an increasingly important task.
My final mention is regarding what’s been going on with the Canada-US relationship. With the recent developments, consuming more Canadian content is going to be more important than ever. CBC, the Globe and Mail, and CTV for your news. Crave and CBC Gem for streaming. I saw Gem has some really cool new shows out such as North of North and Saint Pierre. My advice is to start making a habit of searching out Canadian podcasters and authors as well to support them. I know I will.
This was lengthy but I had so much fun writing it, and it was a bit of a mix between light and serious. Of course if you have any suggestions to add to my media repertoire don't be shy.
KP
