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Yes, we eventually turned the audio on. You're welcome.
This episode of The Morning Show Thing starts, as all good tech stories do, with a gentle descent into chaos. OBS—the free demon-hunting K-pop software we use to livestream—forgot what a microphone was. Again.
But once the gremlins were wrangled, we tackled something a little more insidious: news poisoning. Or as I’ve started calling it (and I’d like credit please), phone poisoning. It’s that feeling when you’ve read one too many headlines, watched one too many pundits yell into the void, and your brain feels like it’s been marinated in Twitter threads and cable news chyron anxiety.
We talked about:
Why constant bad news rewires your brain (thanks, Mayo Clinic).
How negative headlines spread 3x faster than positive ones (thanks, internet).
Why you feel terrible after just 14 minutes of news (thanks, science).
And how to fix it… or at least slightly reduce your descent into full-blown media madness.
We also offered tips, which is very off-brand for us:
Set boundaries — News is not a buffet, and you don't have to eat until you're sick.
Turn off notifications — Your phone should not be your boss.
Curate your sources — If the news is important, it’ll find you. Probably while you're trying to sleep.
Balance with positives — Like stories about adorable baby beavers and 104-year-old peanut butter enthusiasts.
Take action — Donate, volunteer, or at least go outside.
Mind your triggers — Avoid doomscrolling before bed, unless you're planning to dream about collapse.
We shared some good news too—because we’re not monsters:
A baby beaver rescued from rapids in Saanich, BC by a kid named Connor (no, it wasn’t a metaphor, it was just very cute).
A woman named Rachel in Saskatchewan turned 104 and carries her birth certificate around because people don’t believe her (as one doesn’t).
A “Girls Fly Day” in Ottawa encouraging more women to become pilots, because only 4% of pilots globally are women and we’re overdue for more competent people in cockpits.
Also: Shannon tries to explain what a pergola is. I remain unconvinced.
We laughed. We learned. We mourned the youth we no longer possess when trying to open the right app to photograph the Snowbirds fly over. (Pro tip: photos is not the same as camera, Stewart.)
Watch the full episode:
🔴 Replay on Brittlestar.com →
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See you next time, and remember:
If your neck hurts, your brain’s fried, and you’re angry at your weather app... maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s the algorithm.
Find the horizon.
—Brittlestar & Shannon
