Input Shapes Output

Welcome to the 20 new readers who have joined us since last week! If you haven’t subscribed, join 2400+ smart, curious folks by subscribing here:

1) Another amazing Kanso Unplugged Social in the books. It’s been great meeting some of you in person and every event reminds me how much people are craving real connection. I’ll be hosting events in SF, LA, London, and Denver over the next few months. If you’re in any of those cities and want to join or just grab a coffee while I’m in town, reply to this email and we’ll make it happen.

2) At the end of the month, I’ll be moving from NYC to San Diego (don’t worry, the NYC events aren’t going anywhere!). I’m moving there knowing almost nobody, so if you're in the SD area, shoot me a message. Would love to grab a coffee / beer!

With all the chaos that comes with a cross-country move, today’s post will be a bit shorter (and one day late, sorry!).

If you’ve been reading for a while, you know I’m a big believer in building a healthy content diet. The info we consume (books, podcasts, videos, posts, etc) shapes how we think, how we feel, what we pay attention to, and in many cases, who we become. I’d argue that the content we feed our minds is just as important (if not more) than the food we put in our bodies..

As a general rule, I try to make every piece of content I create accomplish two things:

1. Go deep. Offer real depth and insight that pushes people to think critically about a topic.
   

2. Leave people better than when they started. That could mean they’re more informed, more reflective, or just feel a little happier than they did five minutes ago.

To do that, I also need strong inputs. My content diet is just as important for staying sharp, keeping my creativity up, and making space to think clearly.

Here are a few recent pieces that hit both of those marks:

1) Scott Galloway x Dr. Anna Lembke - Dopamine Nation and the Age of Digital Drugs

I’m a big Scott Galloway fan. Some people find him abrasive, but I think he’s hilarious, sharp, and one of the few people in media who’s actually willing to say what he thinks, even when it’s uncomfortable. He blends humor, data, and brutal honesty in a way that makes serious topics feel accessible without watering them down.

In this episode, he sits down with Dr. Anna Lembke, one of the leading addiction experts in the country and author of Dopamine Nation, to unpack how tech, social media, and constant stimulation are rewiring our brains.

They dive into the dopamine economy, what’s happening to kids growing up in this environment, and why so many of us are struggling to moderate our consumption.

It’s one of those rare conversations that’s easy to follow, genuinely entertaining, and still hits hard.

2) They’re Lying To You About Blue Light, 5G, & EMF TOXICITY w/ Tristan Scott

I’d always heard anecdotal claims about phone radiation and EMFs being harmful, but never really looked into it, until this. Tristan Scott (Head of Operations at Daylight Computer) goes deep on the science behind EMFs, blue light, and 5G, and how they might be impacting sleep, fertility, brain function, and more.

The episode sent me down a research rabbit hole. Half the internet thinks we’re in a silent public health crisis, while the other half thinks it’s total tinfoil-hat territory.

Tristan is clearly brilliant, and while I’m still figuring out what to believe, this episode pushed me to better question how tech is shaping our biology. Definitely got my gears turning.

3) I Moved Into a Retirement Home for 48 Hours (Yes Theory)

Yes Theory is hands down my favorite YouTube channel. Their whole mission is built around one idea: seeking discomfort. They ‘say yes’ to experiences that push them—and others—outside their comfort zones, all in service of deeper human connection.

In this two-part series (part one below, part two here), the crew spends the night at a senior living home and talk with residents about life, aging, and meaning. They meet a remarkably vibrant 102-year-old woman named Dorothy who’s been to every continent except Australia.

When she tells them it’s the one place she’s always dreamed of visiting, they decide to make it happen, planning an entire trip and helping her become the oldest person to ever fly from San Francisco to Australia.

Killer production value and a beautiful display of humanity. Near impossible not to cry.

4) The Molecule of More by Daniel Z Lieberman

This book was recommended to me by a reader of this newsletter (shoutout Leonardo!), and it’s definitely lived up to the hype. The Molecule of More breaks down how dopamine (aka the chemical that drives desire, ambition, novelty-seeking, and future-thinking) shapes nearly every aspect of our lives, especially our relationship with tech.

It’s fairly dense from a neuroscience perspective, but still accessible, and I found myself underlining something on almost every page.

As I try to deepen my understanding of the science behind habit formation and tech addiction for the work we’re doing at Kanso, this book has been incredibly valuable.

Here’s another good Ted Talk from the author:

That’s all I got for this week. If you watch any of these, let me know your thoughts. Always enjoy putting people onto good content and hearing what’s hitting for you too.

My Businesses & Social Links

If you’re looking to improve your digital wellness, here are a few places to start:

Kanso Experiences - Unforgettable phone-free social experiences for ambitious people who are tired of the feed and hungry for real relationships.

Kanso Reset45 Cohorts - A cohort-based bootcamp to reprogram your tech habits in 45 days. If you’re interested in joining our next cohort starting June 17th, reply to this email.

Kanso 1:1 Digital Wellness Coaching - Personalized, high-touch coaching to help you take control of your tech use. Get daily accountability, habit tracking, and expert guidance to reduce screen time, stay focused, and build a more intentional digital life.

The Digital Reset Journal - A guided daily journal to help you rethink your tech use, stay present, and build healthier daily habits.

Digital Detox Tools - A free directory of 100+ digital wellness tools to integrate into all areas of your life.

Follow me across platforms:

X/Twitter (@GinsburgRandy)

Instagram (@randy_ginsburg)

YouTube (@KansoRandy) - a lot more coming here soon

LinkedIn

You can find Kanso across Instagram and TikTok @getkanso too.

That’s all for this week. Now stop scrolling, and go do something great.

— Randy