Reducing regrettable minutes

Plus three post formats to try, Tory Burch’s clever use of TikTok’s Bulletin Board feature, and more.

I’ve been thinking a lot about regrettable minutes. That feeling when you come out of a deep scroll, barely remember anything you just watched, and are annoyed at yourself for even spending your time that way in the first place. It’s a term I’d heard before, but was reminded of it while listening to a recent episode of The Colin and Samir Show. We spend so much time in social media apps but how much of it actually feels worth it once we’re out? In a recent Financial Times article by John Burn-Murdoch he shared a graph that showed “people reflexively opening the apps to fill up spare time has risen, reflecting a broader pernicious shift from mindful to mindless browsing.”

Source: GWI. FT graphic: John Burn-Murdoch / @jburnmurdoch.

This newsletter mostly tracks immediate trends, the “girl, whatevers” of the moment. It’s important to zoom out too. As our feeds fill with slop (AI and otherwise), I think these regrettable minutes will get longer and, well, more regrettable. With this, we’ll see a shift in the types of posts that earn likes.

Users will crave slow storytelling. More Mister Rogers, less Mr. Beast. The nostalgic explainers that World By Charlie posts feel like a good start. If brands were looking to reality shows for series inspiration the past few years, I think we’ll see them study children’s shows next. Just look at Tiny Chef's online success. Audiences will have have less tolerance for brand tricks. We’re living in a time where people genuinely thought the Louvre heist was marketing promotion for the movie Now You See Me! Dark! We’ll also see brands invest more in in-person activations, communities, and livestreams. This is social too. Some of the most successful digital brand content this year were simply videos and photos from offline events—just look at Kerrygold, Ramp, and Taco Bell.

Social teams will play a big role in shaping what the internet looks like over the next few years. My goal? Reduce regrettable minutes.

Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:

• The free camera app creators swear by

• 3 post formats to try this week

• Tory Burch’s clever use of TikTok’s Bulletin Board feature

• Why J.Crew’s comments are flooded with comments about a dog named Stella