Rest Your Understanding

Summary

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Gettin’ Grown | "Rest Your Understanding"

Hosts: Jade & Kia
Date: November 4, 2025
Network: Loud Speakers Network

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Episode Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Jade and Kia unpack the concept of "brain rot," recently named the Oxford Word of the Year for 2024. Their "kitchen table talk" explores the cognitive and social effects of our fast-paced, screen-dominated lives, the challenges of staying present, and the importance of intentional self-care in the landscape of modern adulthood. The hosts balance humor, vulnerability, and critical insight, sharing both community-minded perspectives and practical strategies for self-care and digital well-being.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Reflections: Community, Hard Times & Empathy (06:10–10:37)

• Navigating simultaneous personal and collective struggles
  • Jade describes feeling "wonky" but hesitant to complain, remembering the millions affected by food stamp/SNAP benefit lapses—especially pressing in the holiday season (06:10).
  • Quote: “People just being able to take care of their families on a basic level is being snatched away. And it just feels so crazy.” – Jade (07:54)
• Kia adds to this “compounding grief and heaviness,” discussing feelings of invisibility and undervaluation as Black women—while also acknowledging privilege relative to those “not much different than you” (08:21).
• Both note the intention to share community resources and encourage mutual support.

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2. Society & the Design of Disconnection (10:37–18:04)

• Jade references a “Twilight Zone” episode to parallel current society’s increasing division and isolation (10:37), arguing that systems are designed for disconnection, especially in times of hardship.
• Critique of rising living costs, decreasing incomes, police/state violence, and targeted attacks (including ICE raids and ethnic cleansing in Sudan).
• Importance of maintaining awareness of global crises, with a specific spotlight on Sudan’s ongoing genocide: “Please, please, if you can, stay aware of what’s happening in Sudan.” – Jade (17:28)
• Emphasis on community support as a form of resistance to systemic forces: “The longest game... is going to be us coming together in community because they are literally trying to set it up for us to be isolated.” – Jade (11:43)

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3. Kitchen Table Talk: “Brain Rot” and Cognitive Health (21:38–63:31)

Introduction

• The Oxford Word of the Year 2024 is “brain rot”—reflecting a collective awareness of decline in mental clarity due to digital overconsumption (21:38).
  • Memorable Moment: Jade does a mock "award show" reveal using playful banter (22:09–23:06).

Defining "Brain Rot" & Its Evolution (24:36–29:49)

• Brain rot: Defined as the mental/cognitive decline due to chronic consumption of low-quality, unchallenging digital content (meme cycles, doomscrolling, AI-generated media, obsessive fandom, sped-up content).
• The term dates back to Henry David Thoreau’s 1854 Walden, initially referencing passivity and the dangers of second-hand experience through “media”—then, newspapers.

Not All New, Not All Bad (29:49–39:50)

• Kia and Jade explore non-digital and digital examples of cognitive shortcuts: Cliff Notes, digital clocks, decline in handwriting, use of GPS/navigation, and memory erosion.
  • Quote: “You could cook a pot roast in the microwave. It’ll be cooked, but it won’t be good.” – Kia (30:43)
• Both reflect on their own generational roles—having witnessed the tech revolution and, at times, “starting” habits their kids now inherit.

Social & Learning Consequences (36:59–42:10)

• As an educator, Kia laments the loss of social and relational aspects of learning:
  • Quote: “If you're looking something up and it spits something back out to you, that's not necessarily work... there is this exchange that has to happen in order for your brain to translate information into conceptual knowledge.” (37:45)
• Brain rot encompasses not only shorter attention spans but also diminished social engagement, communication, and oral processing.
• The digital age multiplies exposure and makes boundaries harder to maintain.

The "Doomscroll" Trap & Mental Health Impacts (41:33–43:48)

• Jade and Kia share how overconsumption of bad news and endless scrolling impacts mood, energy, and even physical wellbeing.
• Referencing boundaries (“leaving your phone in another room,” limiting app notifications), they encourage intentionality in digital habits.
  • Quote: “You pick up your phone to do something in three minutes and you look up, 47 minutes have passed.” – Kia (42:54)

Studies & Alarming Trends (45:20–50:37)

• Kia cites recent research:
  • Children: 4+ hours of screen time—a fivefold increase in risk for communication delays.
  • Teens: 46% say social media worsens their body image.
  • Education & Learning: Paper reading outperforms screens for deep comprehension; handwriting is superior to typing for forming connections & conceptual understanding.
  • Sleep: 2 hours of screen exposure reduces melatonin by 55%; effects last up to 48 hours.
• Warning: Early-onset dementia risk is projected to rise 4–6x for Gen Z by 2060 due to digital overuse.

Mindful Consumption & Digital “Diets” (53:46–63:31)

• Practical tips for minimizing brain rot:
  • Set screen time/app limits; respect digital boundaries.
  • Remove social apps/turn off notifications; curate feeds to avoid triggering or unhelpful content.
  • Insert phone-free blocks into your day.
  • Replace impulsive digital consumption with alternative hobbies or activities.
• Emphasize progress over perfection—this is about raising awareness, not shame.

Lifestyle Strategies for Better Brain Health (55:58–62:57)

• Limit multitasking/time-block tasks for memory and focus.
• Build cognitive “muscle” with puzzles, reading, and new skills.
• Prioritize physical activity, sleep, hydration, balanced nutrition, and purposeful social connections ("touch some grass!").
• Mindfulness, decluttering, and even face-to-face social time are essential to well-being.
  • Quote: “Rest your understanding... maybe I’ll title the episode that.” – Kia (62:57)

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4. Lessons & Laughter: Self-Care & Community Check-In (66:31–71:56)

• Jade’s self-care: Attending a cannabis-infused ancestral dinner, savoring community and curated experiences as a grounding form of care.
• Kia’s self-care: Focusing on sleep hygiene (weighted blanket, magnesium/ashwagandha drinks, reading before bed) and committing to annual health checkups.
• Both encourage listeners to be diligent about medical and emotional care, scheduling physicals, mammograms, dental, and vision visits.

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5. Petty Peeves ("Petty Pee Time") (71:56–80:17)

• Jade’s Peeve: Getting sick twice in succession—frustrated by the cycle, she scolds public health hygiene ("stop being disgusting in public...stay home if you’re sick!") (73:31).
• Kia’s Peeve: The overuse and misapplication of “Fireside Chat” terminology—calls for more honest, less trend-driven event labels:
  • Quote: “It don’t be no fires. We don’t be sitting side the fires...it is a conversation, it might be a...panel. Let's just call it what it is. What it is not is a Fireside Chat.” (74:02)
• Lighthearted brainstorming for alternative event names: “chin wag,” “gab fest,” “bull session,” “panelita,” etc.
  • Memorable Moment: Playful riffing on workplace lingo and reverse-bespoke event culture (78:05–79:31).

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6. Closing Words: Self-Care Mantras (81:17–84:12)

• Kia’s classic advice: Mind your own business, hydrate (“moisturize your insides and outsides”), and keep yourself and your community well as an act of resistance and self-love.
• Banter on daylight savings ("for those who celebrate..."), closing with Jade’s comedic anecdote about Kris Jenner’s Halloween delusions (83:38).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On collective struggle:
  • “Persisting through that and showing up...while carrying that heaviness is really, really hard. And there’s—I don’t know...” – Kia (08:21)
• On digital habits:
  • “We are the first guinea pig...they started with the Game Boy and a Talk Boy from Home Alone...” – Jade (34:03)
• On cognitive shortcuts:
  • "Those sort of shortcuts led to the degradation of our capacity...even like, if we think about digital clocks degrading the capacity of humans to actually read clocks and tell times..." – Kia (31:30)
• On screen time effects:
  • “Paper beats screens for learning on every major indicator.” – Kia (46:08)
• On brain health routines:
  • "I don't believe in dieting in any other way, but I do believe that digital diet is an amazing term." – Jade (53:43)
• Closing mantra:
  • "Mind your business as an act of self care...moisturize your skin every day...be resistant to racism and ash..." – Kia (81:17, 82:25)

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Useful Timestamps

• Compounding grief, food security & community: 06:10–10:37
• Kitchen Table Talk: Brain rot deep dive: 21:38–63:31
• Research & tips for better brain health: 45:20–62:57
• Self-care segment: 66:31–71:56
• Petty peeve segment (Fireside Chat rant): 71:56–80:17

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Tone & Language

The episode balances urgency and vulnerability with humor and cultural references ("Blackity Black women," meme jokes, playful jabs at Kris Jenner, and social media trends). Kia’s educator’s insight and Jade’s candid honesty anchor the episode, creating a space that’s wise, real, and relatable.

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Takeaway

"Rest your understanding" is both the episode’s title and its call to action: slow down, check your digital diet, nurture your brain, and seek authentic connection—in spite of the breakneck speed and noise of the modern world.

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Additional resources, studies, and aid links as discussed by the hosts can be found in the episode’s show notes.

Transcript

[Kia]

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[Jade]

Howdy, partner. Next time you get chicken at McDonald's.

[Kia]

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[Jade]

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[Kia]

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[Jade]

Quite strange the way you said her name? And when you look in her eyes? I see the lust you can't deny? It's more to this than what you said? Cause in your sleep you called her name? Uh, you say that she. Oh. Oh, wow. Wow.

[Kia]

They wanted.

[Jade]

Wow. Wow.

[Kia]

They wanted the tribute. Okay.

[Jade]

All right. Devils in disguise, you are. That sounded like a fire truck up some high. I was so irritated.

[Kia]

That was quite a bit. Really?

[Jade]

That was rude as. I can't even go on. Why would they do that?

[Kia]

My God. Why would they do that?

[Jade]

Oh, praise the Lord. Golly, I'm so sorry.

[Kia]

Oh, my word. What a time.

[Jade]

I was.

[Kia]

Never say never.

[Jade]

Well, you know what?

[Kia]

Do that.

[Jade]

Absolutely. You know what? No, no, no.

[Kia]

No reward.

[Jade]

Because I'm taking my power back. I'm reclaiming my time. So. No, it. We're starting over from scratch right now. Get ready. I found it quite strange the way you said her name? And when you look in her eyes? I see the lust you can't deny? It's more to this than what you said? Cause in your sleep you called her name? You say she's just a friend? I knew right then. Cause the rain. Get out. Go ahead, take it away, sis. She was, but somebody fell for her? Until she broke your heart that day? Still I love you? Yeah, all the. Oh, God. Brandy sang, like, 17 different notes at one time. The harmonizing is undeniable.

[Kia]

Now there are other things and other events and other choices, other traits. Those things can always be into question. But the girl has always been able to sing. And I don't care. She was sing.

[Jade]

Oh, yeah.

[Kia]

Under the table. Every time now. Okay. I mean, we got to have all the things, please.

[Jade]

Let's see. I'm gonna say it without saying.

[Kia]

All right, this should be fun.

[Jade]

First and foremost, let's be very clear here. Yes. So sometimes she gets too much. Sometimes people do too much on her. You know what I'm saying?

[Kia]

I would agree with that.

[Jade]

I'm in a line sometimes, you know, sometimes we call things upon ourselves. And this is not in reference to. Because the conversation recently about her having to leave stage and what was it, their first and second one of their early shows.

[Kia]

Yes.

[Jade]

You don't know what people got going on health wise. I don't know if the copious amounts of celebrity deaths that have come out of nowhere to you. Listen, I don't know why that hasn't said something to you about the fact that people deserve privacy. You don't know what all they're going through. This is a grown woman. Somebody brought up a point of perimenopause. You don't know the way that that might. Could be affecting her. Like, you don't know. You don't know any number. Exactly. You don't know what you. What you do know is that you can mind your design.

[Kia]

And you know, in fairness, if I were there in Chicago and had an abridged or truncated show experience, I too would be like, okay, wow. Yeah, like I get.

[Jade]

But my human empath goes to concern first.

[Kia]

Yes, yes, yes, exactly, exactly, exactly. And so, yeah, all of that that you said. And I agree that sometimes I. I think we have been hard on her in ways that have not always felt fair. But again, also, things are two. Two truths being true at the same time. Like, you know, you know, you still have. There are still consequences and accountabilities that come with choices and decisions, and that's always going to be on the table. But, you know. Yeah, not too much on Brandi right now.

[Jade]

Too much. Not too much. Now listen, Sonia, she's fair game because I think she's a monster, period.

[Kia]

But.

[Jade]

The queen of 99 days, she's the reason. She's the reason for season. You know what I mean?

[Kia]

Right. There's a lot. There's a lot that could be attributed back.

[Jade]

Absolutely. And the evil that lives in that wig. That's all I'm saying. I think that, like, you know, that's a separate.

[Kia]

It's always going to be that 99J that. That's her color. It's very telling. But in any way, in any case, praise the Lord. How are you, sister?

[Jade]

Oh, man. You know, you know, I laugh to keep from combusting you know what I'm saying? Melting. I, I laugh, I laugh. To keep from all of that. I will, you know, I feel like, I feel so wonky right now. It's a wonky time out here. And. But then also, like, reticent to, to complain about my very large and valid, you know, frustrations and like, challenges right now. But also, lest we forget that as this episode is airing, it's November 4th, and as Kia and I record, this is November 2nd and yesterday, millions of people did not receive their food stamp renewals, their SNAP benefits. So outside of just like basic human necessity, you got, you have the extra layer of it also being a holiday month and the nature of the holiday aside, holiday season and the nature of that aside, and all of the, you know, all of the, even the things that I say, you know, capitalism, aside from all of that, people just, just, just being able to take care of their families on a basic level is being snatched away. And it's, it just feels so crazy.

[Kia]

Yeah.

[Jade]

You know, we will have links to resources for those who need assistance for different food banks and pantries and resources in general in the description box. But, you know, it's like, yes, pray, but what, what else? What else? Like, how long does evil get to prevail?

[Kia]

It's very heavy to. I just want to say that in agreement with you, I think what I, what I feel like I'm experiencing, because as he said, it's. It can feel challenging to sort of experience that dissonance in yourself when you are in your life facing challenges, difficulties, heaviness, very real problems. But you're hesitant to speak about those problems out loud because you're also cognizant of the various ways in which things are a lot worse for people that are not much different than you, who, who, who look like you look and come, come from where you come from and share a lot of the same sort of traits and qualities, you know, as you do. And there's a heaviness and to me just adding onto what you're saying, I feel like this compounding grief and heaviness and just sort of to your question of like, how long will evil prevail? But like also our humanity continues to be discounted and dismissed and just unacknowledged in so many profound ways. It is so hard to literally be here and feel so invisible and feel so undervalued and disrespected and all, all of it. And it's just like to continue to try to persist through that and take care of yourself. In the communities that you're called and connected to, despite all of the messaging and just loud indicators and every. Like, there's evidence to prove that people just don't care about our. Yeah. And they just. They just don't care about us. And just acknowledging that persisting through that and showing up and doing the things that we know to do to try to survive while carrying that heaviness is really, really hard. And there's. I don't know, like, it's really like.

[Jade]

Like, the other side to that, too, is. Allow me to Jade out for a moment. So, you know, XD and I do all types of watches and content over on our Patreon that lead to larger discussions. You know, oftentimes we'll bring things to the table to share with one another in our audience. And so, you know, in these times, I. I was like, you know, it's spooky season in more ways than one. And we watched an episode of Twilight Zone. Twilight Zone has always been one of my favorite television shows of all time. And there is an episode, I believe it's called the Monsters of Maple street. And the Monsters of Maple Street. It's essentially about aliens or monsters or some otherworldly form that has infiltrated this neighborhood. But you don't see them, Right. It's just infiltrated this neighborhood. Somebody brings it up as a rumor. Well, I heard one of y' all is a spy for a. Blah, blah, blah. In the course of the episode, are all of the different neighbors turning on one neighbor at a time as they suspect they might be the quote, unquote monster on Maple Street. Until at the very end, it is everybody fighting one another. And then you zoom, zoom out, and it is two aliens, quote, unquote. But it's humans, scientists, whatever government being, whatever you want you want them to be two people observing this chaos and mayhem. And basically the. The in the end messaging is like, yeah, humans gonna be humans, and they're gonna eat each other alive when things get bad. And so you take. I like to take some stuff like that and apply it to where we are now and also apply it to how I do not want to be and how to be mindful, because it is very, very, very easy. I. I would. I would almost. I almost offer that it is by design that they have set this up. You know what I mean? Not even almost. Yes. That is also part of it where we get so distraught and so downtrodden that we then begin to only have our heads up our own asses outside of every. When everybody is facing some catastrophic, catastrophic level of like not being able to sustain themselves. And so, you know, being mindful that we also, I, you know, that's why I'm like, I know there's a balance of, it's okay to talk about the things that are challenging you in your life and what's going on while also being mindful that, you know, everybody got something going on. And the, the, in the longest, the longest game, in the longest way of sustainability, as we say, every single week is going to be us coming together in community because they are literally trying to set it up for us to be isolated, for us to be all the way on the outs of the ways that we sustain ourselves. Groceries are going up every single day, income is going down, employment is going down, crime was going down. They want to go back up. So they continue to fulfill their different agendas. And so, you know, and then, you know, we got all this ICE that's happening every where, everywhere at this point. ICE is, ice is terrorizing people everywhere. New York, Chicago, Portland, D.C. everywhere, everywhere. Every. They're doing truck, truck drivers in, in Tennessee and Mississippi and Wyoming and Michigan. Like they're stopping people all over the place, ramping up their hate. And it's all by the hands of these inexperienced, proud boys and, and you know, vagrants that they decided were qualified to kidnap people. I do, I, I don't, I, you know, we have a, a topic to get to and a conversation to have. We have so much going on right now, but I do not want us to also, in the spirit of us speaking on community and you know, acknowledging all that's going on, we've talked about what's going on on the home front in a very truncated way. You know, I've been talking about Sudan for the past couple years now at this point and the ongoing genocide that's happening. The El Fisher has fallen to the rsf, which is just so unbelievably heartbreaking, is not strong enough. They were in a siege for over 500 days and essentially the RSF has begun an ethnic cleansing campaign in Elfshire. Many of the civilians who were volunteering in the community aid kitchens, etc have been executed. And I'm not saying this to you, I don't, this is, this is, this is strictly for awareness because this is not good. And I hate to even bring this news to the table, but it is something that we have to be aware of. These people are being essentially locked in to the city. They are making it impossible for people to flee. And if they are fleeing they're in the middle of the desert with no resources. And so please, please, please, please, if you can, if I just need you to stay aware of what's happening in Sudan. But we're going to talk about awareness and news and, and all of these different things and how they affect us in the kitchen table. So before we head to the kitchen table, if you want to support getting grown in these perilous times, subscribe to the Patreon where you get the video version of this podcast. You can see all of Kia and I's facial expressions at one another and for the entirety of the episode, as well as additional content from time to time and again. This is just the best way to support getting grown. There's also merch. If you're looking to support black owned and local in terms of community, this we are local to you in your hearts, then don't forget that there is getting grown merch for you all as well, which supports the show and you, you know what I'm saying? Get to have the whole city on your back, the city being key and I, period. Yeah. And you know, subscribe to us on YouTube. It helps us, you know, like, and rate this show five stars. Leave us a comment, you know what I'm saying? And put us on to the young ones. Then we got to start infiltrating the new generations. They need to hear from the aunties in the most real way. I'm like I said, I'm the auntie that might ash on your kid's head, but I'm gonna spit some real shit to them. So put us on, you know what I'm saying? Like, share the wealth. And with that being said, let's take a little break and we'll head on over to the kitchen table.

[Kia]

Let's do Emmy Award winner In the Bronx own Kerry Washington returns as Dr. Virginia Edwards in Audible's heart pounding supernatural thriller the Prophecy Season 2.

[Jade]

Also starring Giancarlo Esposito, Dulay Hill, Renzi Felice and Ebony Obsidian. The battle between good and evil reaches new heights in this action packed sequel that pits faith against fear and pushes the fate of humankind to the edge.

[Kia]

Of Follow every twist and turn as Virginia and her miracle son Joshua flee from Detroit pursued by the sinister Luther Bell, played by Giancarlo Esposito and his.

[Jade]

Morning Stars cult with her estranged husband Ryan and Moses Dulay Hill, a devotee with a mysterious past, Virginia finds unlikely allies in Samson and Delilah. Together they uncover the truth about Joshua's place in ancient prophecy. Each perilous step of their journey is guided by Virginia's haunting visions. While Belle's force closes in, threatening to.

[Kia]

Tear their worlds apart. As natural disasters erupt, Virginia must embrace her role as both mother and chosen protector.

[Jade]

But will it all be too late? Evil is rising and time is running out. Do not miss Kerry Washington and Audible's new must listen the prophecy season two. Go to audible.com prophecy2 that's the number two. And start listening today.

[Kia]

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[Jade]

Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Kia]

Cut the camera.

[Jade]

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[Kia]

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[Jade]

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[Kia]

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[Jade]

Welcome back to the Kitchen table. So I want to have a conversation with Kia this week. You know what we have mentioned it in passing on several episodes. You probably hear it from time to time. You're probably experiencing it because of the world that we are living in. But, sister, do you know what the word of the year, the Oxford word of the year, to be specific, of 2024 was?

[Kia]

2024. Oh, no. I have a guess, but. No, please tell me. Yes.

[Jade]

So Oxford word of the year 2024. Ty, give me some award show music.

[Kia]

This is not something to celebrate.

[Jade]

Not at all. And I'm gonna do this with my Whitney Houston dancing shoulders. Brain rot.

[Kia]

All right.

[Jade]

Brain rot. Okay, I did that. And you know, put that in the. In the key of. You listen. Okay. Shout out to Winnie Harlow. You did that with that. That little video that she did.

[Kia]

But.

[Jade]

You better lay low. One of the best clips. Flying some butterflies, flying high or whatever.

[Kia]

If you need to pick me up. I mean, literally all throughout my week while I'm in this house dealing with the tragedies of the world, nothing will lift your spirits like just screaming Bobby Brown.

[Jade]

It won't. Okay, you won't feel bad then you have to follow it up with the ribs and barbecue to take yourself out for real. But.

[Kia]

Shout out to J. Fox.

[Jade]

Shout out to JB Fox. Okay. A quintuple thread. Okay, but you see, we're just.

[Kia]

No, you did that.

[Jade]

No, you. All good. So the Oxford 2024 Word of the year is brain rot, which is wild, insane, but also not when you. When we think about it.

[Kia]

Yeah.

[Jade]

In hindsight. And also, you know, we can. We can partner that with brain fog. Right. Because I think brain fog is a result of brain rot, is something that many of us are experiencing it, and we've talked about it, especially on this show, you know, at the age bracket we're in, how it pertains to health and, you know, in perimenopause. And we've had wonderful conversations with Dr. Wendy, and we will have more conversations to come about that. But also how I wanted to speak about it in the context this particular kitchen table is, ways that we can combat. Combat this brain fog and brain rot that's happening. Right. Because as we spoke about a few minutes ago, how all of these things are by design. This is by design as well. So.

[Kia]

Yeah.

[Jade]

Do you know when the term brain rot was first coined?

[Kia]

I don't know when it was first coined, but I did a little reading just in terms of, like, defining, sort of like understanding the evolution of the term a little bit. And I feel like I've learned that it exists both in terms of, like, you Know, in like the noun way where it's like, you know, a category for the kind of content, but it also is characterized by sort of like how the content affects your brain so that, that it exists in, in both ways. So as a term for it's like the low effort, high stimulation content. It's. It's the junk food of the media. Of the media that is literally engineered to be. Yeah, but to be consumed quickly and to generate like addictive addiction.

[Jade]

Exactly.

[Kia]

Like it's literally designed to make us continue to want to watch it over.

[Jade]

And over and also weaken the muscles of our brain. But I feel like it's important to have this conversation because, you know, things are taken to extremes and like nuance is not discussed in a lot of these conversations. Right. So first and foremost, let's define it. So brain. Right. Is the mental and cognitive decline caused by consumption of low quality, unchallenging online content. Like he just said, such as endless scrolling on social media is not a clinical diagnosis, but it describes the state of mental fogginess, lethargy, reduced attention span and difficulty concentrating that can result from constant digital stimulation. And like you said, like the examples of that are doom scrolling. As we talk about often we hear doom scrolling all the time. Short form videos, low stimulating and repeating repetitive memes, low effort and AI generated media. You know, and I want to have a, at a later date, I would like to have a more in depth conversation around AI Right. Because you know, I, old lady from the woods scream about AI up the environment and then we all scream into the void online about how, you know, this dog should not be a banana. But also. But I can imagine that AI was probably originally had served some sort of purpose. And I think it's in the, in the spirit of nuance, we do need to discuss that in a responsible manner. But again, when you think about a ballerina with the cappuccino mug as a head and they call her cappuccino, you know what I'm saying? Like that's a problem when that's just all you're scrolling is shit like that. Also niche fandom discussion passions, obsessive preoccupation with TV shows, games and fictional characters to the point where it becomes a primary focus. I think it's important to make sure that we add that part in there.

[Kia]

Yeah.

[Jade]

As well as fast paced editing. Okay. So like speeding up the content that you listen to or how people are speeding up their own content to cram in more content that is with your brain.

[Kia]

Yes. Literally shrinking your attention span. Which is not a good and healthy thing. But.

[Jade]

No, please, no, no, no. That those were just some of the, those were some of the examples of, of this, of this brain. Right. As it pertains to digital consumption. Right. Because I want to get to like, the origins of brain rot and then I want to talk about. So let's talk about the origins of brain rot. First sister. So the term was first coined in 1854.

[Kia]

Oh, wow.

[Jade]

By Henry David Thoreau in his book Walden. And there's a NPR article that I'll make sure is also linked in the description box by Bill Chappelle where he kind of breaks down Thoreau's like, theory on, on brain rot. And obviously there was no Internet at the time when he coined this term. So he interviewed Bill Chappelle, the one who wrote the article, interviewed Kristen Ellis, who's a literature professor at the University of Mississippi. And I want to read this quote. I think the definitions are related, but the rose sense of brain rot is way more extreme. It's not just TikTok dance crazes because that didn't even exist then, but virtually our entire 247 media culture, including the quote unquote series of newspapers. So I want of newspapers that Thoreau would accuse of trivializing our minds. He really values direct experience over our habits of consuming other people's ideas as secondhand. He wants us to go outside to feel and think something for ourselves. He wants us to get to know the places where we actually live. So yeah, I clearly we can apply this to like where we are right now in the digital age. And I think that's also a, a big portion of the lens that we're having this conversation. But I think it's important to note that brain rock content, quote, unquote, has, is not new. It's come in many different forms over time. And it's not all bad. It's bad when you're not diligent about, but it's not all bad. Can you think.

[Kia]

Yes.

[Jade]

Of some examples of brain rot content?

[Kia]

Yeah.

[Jade]

That might not include digital age.

[Kia]

I think it's anything that trivializes or short circuits the way that, in which our minds were intended to function and work. I think about this a lot. Right. Because at work, thinking about the evolution of AI and how it is slowly being integrated in all things, in every space. I think there's a lot of ways that this is promoted is often in the names of efficiency, in the names of you can do things quicker, you can do things better. And you know, at work I leverage A metaphor all the time around. Like, you could cook a pot roast in the microwave. It's going to be nasty, but it'll be cooked. But it won't be good. But it won't be good. So, you know, you know what I'm saying? Like, exactly, like, have that visceral reaction because I think you have to sort of bring people to those very real. Like, yeah, who wants to eat a pot roast cooked in the microwave? Nobody.

[Jade]

No, you're absolutely correct.

[Kia]

But when you, when you think about the ways in which we have replaced the long form process of things with like, very quick and efficient, like, zip, zip. We are over time have degraded the quality of a lot of. A lot of things. And so when you think about even going back all the way back to like Cliff Notes, I think about like we were in school and, and you know what I'm saying?

[Jade]

So.

[Kia]

And right. But like, so I think we have to talk about exactly now. And like, think about like when we had. We talk on this show a lot about when we all had that set of encyclopedias in our houses, right? And then we got a little older and those encyclopedias became the Inarta city, you know what I'm saying? And so, but even that process of being able to look things up, the card catalog becoming the library catalog on the computer, there is a skill set. Index, indexes and books. You know what I'm saying? So those sort of shortcuts led to the degradation of our capacity to alphabetize things quickly. Even like, if we think about digital clocks degrading the capacity of humans to actually read clocks and tell times in an analog phone numbers. So those are phone numbers all of the ways. Like we used to have phone numbers memorized. Now now not so much. Or you have to really train your brain in order to have that functionality. Same could be said for like, directions. MapQuest. I. I get it. I put the ways on everywhere I go in the car.

[Jade]

You know, it's so funny you say that because I. Okay, so tinfoil hat time. I also do the same thing. And then I said that, I was like, first of all, I don't want y' all clocking my every move, so I get to turn this off. But also, yes, it disrupts your critical thinking of how to get around and use your human instinct to get from point A to point B. I know how to get to my neighborhood to where Noah's school is every day. There is no room reason now, yes, it gives us real time traffic things and like where the police are. And again, and the cameras, which you need, not you. If you just stop at the red lights and, you know, and things like that, maybe traffic cameras wouldn't be a thing.

[Kia]

You just follow the rules.

[Jade]

If everybody would stop driving like a. You know what I'm saying? Then maybe, maybe.

[Kia]

No, it's.

[Jade]

But also, this is a very small, selfish society. It's a very. I need to get. And that's why the kids, with the instant gratification, they are literally able to get everything at the drop of a dime in us. Let me not say the kids.

[Kia]

Yeah, us too. Exactly.

[Jade]

Because most if you.

[Kia]

We started it. To be honest. We. I think we started it. They made it worse. No, we gotta own it.

[Jade]

No, absolutely.

[Kia]

We are the only trail.

[Jade]

I think we are the first guinea pig. I think we are the original rats in the epigenetics of. Of this here. So when they started dangling the we, they said, we're gonna use this generation first. We're gonna start to introduce again. They started with the Game Boy and. And a Talk Boy from Home Alone and from.

[Kia]

Oh, my God, I had one.

[Jade]

Remember when they created Talk Girl and it came out in pink?

[Kia]

Yes, I had one. Yes.

[Jade]

But they. They did. They used us first. And yes, we also picked up the torch with that. In the sense where if we even zoom. Take us pause. Take a Zoom out and say if I. I couldn't, like, I couldn't even dream of functioning the way I function now 15 years ago.

[Kia]

Correct. It gives jetsons if you want to be.

[Jade]

Yeah, it does.

[Kia]

You want to know what else? You know what? Another example, as you were talking, it came to mind, and I'm very guilty of this. I mean, the de. Evolution, the degradation of my own handwriting over the course of my life is something. I am embarrassed. I am embarrassed. Yes. Oh, I'm embarrassed.

[Jade]

Oh, yeah. Which makes me wonder because I always, like. I always noted when adults had really impeccable handwriting. Right. And so I think.

[Kia]

I mean.

[Jade]

But most of them don't. Most of them, it's just like, let me get this thing out or whatever. I wonder if that is part of age as well. But no, it is part of this society as well.

[Kia]

It might be a part of age. I think it's a combo feel like there is. Yes. I think. I think about my mom. My mom was very intentional about her handwriting in ways that probably most human beings are not. But she's always had, like, really standardly perfect handwriting, and she's very. Been intentional about not losing her cursive writing in ways that most of Us sort of let that.

[Jade]

True. I write all my K's. My K's are cursive K's. I have like a. I have a very Spanglish way of writing. You know what I'm saying? It's. It's print in cursive combined. I love it. It's very.

[Kia]

Yes, I love the hybrid nature. No, but. No, that's. Those are the kinds of. I think those are good examples of sort of like the evol. Evolution of this concept of brain rot as it has been experienced or as it exists in our bodies today. But it is overall characterized by this thing diminishing of our cognitive load. And. And, you know, there are things, I think, that has, like, implications not only for how we think and how we show up and, you know, but also how we relate to one another.

[Jade]

Yes or no.

[Kia]

Right. So I think the social dynamic is often another consequence of this. And as an educator, I think about this a lot because, you know, education is relational experience. Right? And so when we start to talk about the use of edtech and these kinds of tools, the degree to which they limit or almost eliminate social, like, social interaction around learning, like, learning is very much a social exchange. And I think that is what is a good lever for distinguishing labor as it relates to sort of learning. Right? And so if you're looking something up and it spits something back out to you, that's not necessarily work, right?

[Jade]

That's like, you know, that's a robot. You.

[Kia]

You look something up, you type something into a search engine, and it spits something back out. You might be able to read that information, you might be able to recite it, you might even be able to memorize it. But I would not go so far as to say that you learned that.

[Jade]

Yeah.

[Kia]

You know what I'm saying? Because there is this exchange that has to happen in order for concepts like, you know, for your. For you to cultivate that conceptual thinking and translate information into, like, conceptual knowledge in your mind that you can later reference in your critical thinking and decision making. So, yeah, the impact of brain rot extends beyond things like shortening our attention spans and even limiting our capacity for deep focus or complex thinking, but also limiting our social engagement and our ability to articulate and talk and communicate, you know, and. And. And really lose that. Because I'm an oral processor. I mean, y' all could tell that, especially if you've been listening to the show at all. But I'm an oral processor, but that's the way that my brain works. So it is about creating space for that in my life. And. And when we get. When we think about eliminating that by just sort of only engaging with machines, that can cut off a lot of capacity for a lot of people.

[Jade]

Absolutely. And I think that aspect of it is the additional layer to something that has always existed in a way. Right. Because if you go back, you think about silent movies and the Three Stooges that I would argue that was the equivalent of 6, 7 mew. Like, I would argue that that is the equivalent of that because, well, like you were gonna walk in your classroom, you bop somebody on the head and then up their chin.

[Kia]

Exactly.

[Jade]

You know what I'm saying? Like, it's the same. It also creates social issues in isolation because you do that to enough because you get your face stopped. But this is not new. I think about when my father used to pass out in front of the tv. You wake up late and it's those, it's the Mexican game shows. Have you ever watched Mexican game shows? Like, they're ridiculous or you can't do this on TV or Jackass. And I think of all. I think about the. The Boondocks episode where, yeah, Huey, now Huey was just watched endless mindless television and drank grape soda for a period of time to see what it did to his cognitive function, what it did to his physical. And so all of the, like this way of consuming information and what it does to our brains and a lack of mindfulness has always been a thing. And I think it's just ramped up now with this digital age. We also, from a parental aspect, I have to be extra diligent about this because it is easy. And you all know as adults listening to this show how easy we can fall into doom scrolling. Whether that be that even the way that I have consumed news, you know, especially over the past two years, it's like things are moving rapidly. So you want to be updated. What is that doing for your system? It doesn't mean that you, you, you get apathetic. You, you, you don't stay tuned. But what is it doing to your system to consume information in that way? You know what I'm saying? I know what I can feel that it's done to me over the past couple years. No, seriously, you know what I'm saying?

[Kia]

Seriously. I think Covid. And then like now this, like, I think I talked to this, but with my therapist about it a lot because. And you know, Dr. Joy's content is always really good at sort of elevating this and interrupting the noise on with like actual real Helpful information.

[Jade]

Ooh, Tap in, tap in.

[Kia]

I think. I think there is. There's a way in which this has compromised the development of our. Of a sense of self, a sense of reality, the ability to literally form your own opinions because you're constantly consuming everybody else's.

[Jade]

Yep.

[Kia]

And like you said, if you're not careful, you will ingest all of this stuff. And I don't know about you, but, like, sometimes I literally feel physically ill.

[Jade]

Yes.

[Kia]

Like, I literally have to put my. Like, literally walk away, step outside, depleted, drained. Like, literally. And I have had. And I was talking to a friend, Equa, about this because she's really good about her boundaries. We all know she is the queen. She. She helped shared with me about, you know, like, leaving your phone in another room. Because my. My bad habit was picking up the phone in the morning even before I get out of bed and just scrolling. And then before you know it, again, another function of brain Rod. Like the mindless scrolling. Like, you pick up your phone to do something in three minutes, and you look up, 47 minutes have passed, and it's like.

[Jade]

And you're like, oh, my God, I.

[Kia]

Didn'T even mean to do it.

[Jade]

What was I.

[Kia]

What in God's name?

[Jade]

And then you're cussing yourself out.

[Kia]

Like, you know, I started. I had no intention of starting my day. But, you know, you read all this stuff, all the terrible things in the world, all terrible people's opinions.

[Jade]

Yeah. Then you try to balance it out with people's extremely creative and wonderful Halloween costumes, which is why I think that this is also an important. With our art sister. Somebody dressed up. Somebody dressed up as. As Jim Carrey. Oh, and what's his name? Jeff. What's his name? I forget his name from Dumb and Dumber. And they also did the Pupmobile. They did the Doggy Wagon.

[Kia]

Oh, wow.

[Jade]

And did the suit.

[Kia]

I said.

[Jade]

And I said this. You all's level of creativity and genius.

[Kia]

I was more than impressed this year, I think more. You guys continue to impress me. And I said this on my stories. I was like, one thing, I was thought and execution. Absolutely. But also, it's not lost on me. I'm like, the production budgets were high. Okay. The girls invested.

[Jade]

Because I know what I did for Noah's and hello. And I'm mad. And I said, you know, we're recreating this and taking a picture. Right. I was like, Because I didn't invest. I didn't. I did not buy all these separate pieces and put together Draculaura Monster High doll. You Know what I'm saying? I didn't do all of that for us not to have even personal familial documentation of this. But no, some of you, all. Some of you, all levels. Levels. I have to give you your flowers.

[Kia]

And I love to see it.

[Jade]

Yeah.

[Kia]

And you will receive them. You will receive the flowers from this.

[Jade]

Yes, you will.

[Kia]

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[Jade]

Your lucky jersey, your chairs and your.

[Kia]

Big cooler fit perfectly in your even bigger cargo space. And when it's go time, your 11.3-inch diagonal touchscreen's got the playbook, the playlist and the tech to stay a step ahead. It's more than an suv. It's your Equinox Chevrolet. Together, let's drive. I think it is absolutely worth having if you allow me, just because, you know, I have to be myself. There is some research that has been done recently about this and just a couple of things. I'll also include a few links and things of some of the things that I was reading. But like, you know, it's children with four plus hours of daily screen time face nearly five times greater risk of communication delay. And that is for the children who are, you know, you know, this is for the iPad kids, right? So toddlers using tablets are significantly less likely to listen to attention prompts or respond to parents behavioral requests. Heavy media multitaskers like me show reduced gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex. Literally like your that that part of the brain has been shown scientifically to shrink with with if you are a heavy media multitasker and that region is critical for cognitive control and emotional regulation, which I feel like if we are not like, you know, the evidence is evidencing in that regard. 46% of adolescents age 13 through 17 say that social media makes them feel worse about their body image, not better. And I also feel like, you know, just in terms of ed tech and this is as someone who is an educator who works very much in the space of thinking about ensuring that the integration of technology in educational spaces are done in ways that Are helpful, not harmful. Paper beats screens for learning on every major indicator. Multiple meta analyses show that there's a screen inferiority effect where paper reading better supports deep comprehension. And that was helpful for me because sometimes I would be down to the Kindle or down to my iPad. There is actual evidence that holding a book or reading from a book is what facilitates deeper comprehension. And young children show lower comprehension with digital books compared to. To paper books. Handwriting activates the brain differently than typing. Researchers identified 32 significant connectivity pattern differences between handwriting and typewriting. Typing shows minimal connectivity activation. By comparison, students who take handwritten notes perform better on conceptual comprehension tests than laptop note takers. So digital readers. The evidence is showing that deep reading abilities are declining in ways that are very scary. And educational apps are also showing mixed results. And I think it is very. And I said this, I said it's the crystal. I feel like this has sort of been my little mantra. Right. You know, these tools are for teachers, not learners. And they're supposed to supplement instruction, not replace it. And so in the cases where they work well, they are working as a supplement to actual sort of really traditional facilitated teaching versus when you just sort of say, do this instead. So your executive function. So this, the brain rot to your point, literally leads to diminishing levels of your executive functioning. Heavy multitaskers perform worse, worse on task switching. And children with high screen time score significantly lower on inhibitory control tests.

[Jade]

See, and those are, those are the test results and things of, of, of what we, what they've been able to put together now. You know, we don't know the long, long term effects of.

[Kia]

No.

[Jade]

Of this.

[Kia]

Because this is just. Yeah, because this is just research. 2020 to 2024. Yes. So this is just 20, 20, 24. 24. The thing that hit home the most for me, and then I'm a shut up. Is sleep disruption because I feel like, I feel that in my body. Two hours of LED screen exposure causes 55% decreases in your melatonin production. A lot of us are offsetting that by overdosing on, on melatonin. And that does nothing but just fucks.

[Jade]

Up your circadian rhythm.

[Kia]

Yeah. And it, and it literally just decreases the body's, you know, tolerance, like, you know what I'm saying? Like over a while. After a while, it's just like melatonin doesn't. It stops working. Yeah. Effects persist 24 to 48 hours in alter sleep architecture. You know, so literally the screens are us up in more ways, more ways than one. And the final thing That I will say is some research projects, some research projects that Generation z faces a four to six fold increase in early onset dementia risk by 20, 20, 60 and 2100 because of all of the overuse of an over reliance on, on screens.

[Jade]

That's, that's been my concern. I, you know, as we pick up in age and we deal with loved ones who are dealing with dementia and so forth, like I'm, I'm, I'm, it's extra on my mind now on, you know, being diligent around the things that contribute to that. And part of that is fall. Even falling asleep with the TV on and staying with the TV on all night, that messes with you in the long run, in the long term. And so I wanted to make sure that we discuss these things in balance, right? Because this is also the age that we live in. There's certain things that are unavoidable, like our kids, Noah, when I think about, you know, them taking tests and things like that, she can't control whether or not those tests are on the computer. You know what I mean? She can't control that. She has to check her Google classroom for updates on homework and updates on assignments and so forth and so on. But I do try to be mindful with intentional reading time. And like you said, from books with paper. No, you know, well, we can flip pages. And I'm like, and I also am mindful of how I present that, those that reading time to her. I'm like, listen, this is not punishment. This is for you in the long run. Like I, I, when I was your age, I loved reading. And that's not a comparison where I'm like, you need to be like me. Also, there was, was less digital activity, you know, there was less, less, less access to a lot of the things that you have. I'm like, but in the long run, you're going to be so happy that you are able to sit down for several hours and read a book. Because that's one of the things that we lose with this fogginess and this rot is the ability to be able to function in these different tasks in this way, you know, so we have to do things like reduce our screen time, you know what I'm saying? Set blocks for yourself. I now have set blocks for myself in how I consume news so that I am intentional about staying aware, but also where I'm not getting lost in endless short, short, short clips, you know, and I'm just like, my, my brain is just consuming in this very quick way. I think about you talked about how those studies were at this from 2020 to 2024. I think about the uptick of content just since COVID You know, that's part of our thing. When people were at home, they didn't have to do so they were going to show you how they made sourdough bread and how they started paper macheing and making their own pinatas and how every, you know, people became knights and bought armor and all kinds of things. And yeah, that is entertaining. But also like you said, you look up two hours down the line or you become consuming this, you ain't done shit for yourself. You've done nothing to feed your brain, feed your body. You realize you gotta pee now you gotta poop. Like all the senses start setting again and that stuff gets delayed further and further. So we have to be super mindful, super, super diligent, super intentional about the way that we digitally diet. I don't believe in dieting in any other way, but I do believe that digital diet is an amazing term, you know.

[Kia]

No, I like it. No, for sure. I think one of the things I've been trying to do, and we all have those, or we should, most of our phones come with the ability to set limits on apps or set limits on screen time. The work for me isn't actually respecting those, those at those boundaries and those notifications. I'm. One thing I'm trying to do is designate phone free times of the day.

[Jade]

Yes.

[Kia]

Like, you know, I don't look at my phone between this hour and this hour. I've, I've removed a lot of social apps from my home screen or. And you know, I've, you know, I don't have a lot of notifications turned on anyway. But like especially of, you know, notifications for certain social media apps turn, turning those off and really being intentional about curating my feed. So I've, I have been very diligent about muting and, or unfollowing or blocking content that I notice does not make me feel good. Does not for whatever reason. Right. And it doesn't have to be like an announcement. It doesn't even have to be any beef. It's just like I don't, I can't handle this right now or this is not serving me right now. Just sort of like taking, taking a break and replacing the habit. Like when I go to reach for my phone, really stopping to think, like, do I really need it? And trying to have, you know, what, what is another activity that I could replace this with right now? To. To really try to distance myself from the over. Over consumption and overexposure. So. Yeah. So I think. I think those are some of the things that I've been doing to be active against this. But also I feel like having conversations like this.

[Jade]

Yeah.

[Kia]

Raise our awareness.

[Jade]

Abso.

[Kia]

This is not dated. Yeah. Because this is not us saying that. Like, oh, shame on you if you are absolutely not. Exactly. I think it's real for us to have conversations like this where we can stop and take a look and say, well, damn, I didn't notice, but I was. I had like 14 hours of screen time and that's kind of gross. Like, I need to. I need.

[Jade]

Because that reminder will pop up and humble you really fast. You know what I mean? And also, um, you know, there's. There's other things that we can do. Like you said, you know, new skills, you know, everything. Every time you're like, I want to do, blah, blah, blah. I understand. We also have a lot of things that we have to. That we have to do. But learning new skills challenges your brain. It builds. It builds muscle in your brain, just like working out, creative hobbies. So, yeah, the things that you all did pick up in Covid, you know what I'm saying? That kind of the actual activity of it stimulates your brain and there's nothing wrong with you sharing it online. It's the way again that you consume it. Puzzles and games. I think that there is a reason why a lot of our elderly ones engage in puzzles. You'll see that, you know, they'll do crossword and sudoku and wordle and all kinds of things, because these are things that are workouts for your brain. Also, what I found really interesting, which was a real big, like, slap in my face limiting multitasking. So, wow, apparently that is going to be a dude switching between. Especially. Especially for ADHD girl, you know what I'm saying? Like, oh, God. Switching between tasks can drain your working memory. So I was talking to a friend, I was talking to Mary, and she's the one who talked about time blocking. And I know we. We hear time blocking and all, but that's something that you've got to be really intentional about doing because even multitasking is fucking with your memory because then you're like, oh, yeah, and I have to go do this, and then I have to go do this, and then I have to go do this. Physical and social habits. Staying physically active. There's a reason why they tell us to work out for every living thing under the sun. Craig Obama told us. Oh, Craig Obama. That is not his name. Craig Robinson told Robinson. He's like, excuse me, me brother in law.

[Kia]

Sorry.

[Jade]

Thank you. Craig Robinson told us. When you hit 40, don't forget working out. There's a reason why you run children ragged so that they can sleep well at night. Like, everybody needs physical activity. If you got to shine the laser or do a bird on a, on a little piece of string for your cat. Everybody needs some form of physical activity. Balanced diets. Also consuming nutrient rich foods. Leafy greens. We see that there's a rise of, of people talking about rise and other adaptogenics that help with brain function. You know, there's a reason for that. Fish. Limiting processed foods. Processed foods contribute to the decline of your brain because they are feeding it absolutely the nothing. So that doesn't mean you don't get to have your pop Tart from time to time. But limiting those processed foods. Social connections. Building and maintaining social connections in personal relationships with friends and family. Face to face interactions. All of those things actually contribute to strengthening memory. You see how they've talked about when you have loved ones with dementia or even loved ones who, who live with other ailments. How that social interaction and that, that physical love from loved ones around them actually contributes. Not this screen. That's insane. Did you see this? I hate you.

[Kia]

What are we celebrating?

[Jade]

Absolutely.

[Kia]

I don't even know what you did.

[Jade]

I don't know what I did either. But you see how that has contributed to the strengthening of, of people. It was, it was very. Not just sneaking Katy Perry into this conversation. Spending time in nature. Okay, so for all my girls who are like, I hate when they say touch grass, they literally mean, go touch some grass. Hug a tree, kiss a leaf, watch the leaves change. Go for a walk. Because that is actually a contribution to resetting your brain.

[Kia]

Just notice it at least. Like, because I'm. I too am not an outside girly, but I'm trying to be more intentional about noticing. Like, at least noticing. Like I had to go to the Walgreens yesterday. I walk back to the store, I was like, oh, the leaves are changing. Right? And just, I took a moment and just looked at, oh, that is color. And before I got in my car, like, you know, just those little things are how you start to build the block.

[Jade]

It was a power up, you know, one little block.

[Kia]

It was very much like, you're right.

[Jade]

Yeah.

[Kia]

It was like, okay, yeah.

[Jade]

And managing stress.

[Kia]

Still outside.

[Jade]

Managing stress as well. Stress contribute or low stress contributes to your better, better brain. Function. Mindfulness exercise can help lower stress hormones. We already know that stress can go as far as killing you. So trying to manage that in the best way you can. Because I understand that a lot of these world circumstances, you know what I'm saying, don't help our situations. But these are some. And then also getting enough sleep. Getting enough sleep does it. Meditation, breathing exercises, decluttering your space contributes to your cognitive functions and how your brain works. So take drinking your water for those who don't like water. Drinking water actually contributes also to brain, to a limiting brain fog and brain rot. Hydrating yourself. You see how getting grown be ahead of the curve. You see what I'm saying?

[Kia]

I mean we have been helping the people for years. We've been helping.

[Jade]

It's not new information. It's just sometimes it, you know, takes a different source of where it comes from.

[Kia]

You need a reminder. A reminder.

[Jade]

So I thought this was just a good conversation for us to have around. Like I said, being diligent with the way that we consume, we. It doesn't mean you don't consume. A lot of it is unavoidable. But a little bit more intention around the way that we can can really help the way that we function. And like I said, like, like you said, this is not a point and figure conversation. This is like, this is all of us, we, Spider Manning, right now, you know what I'm saying? And all my fingers are pointing back at myself. I wanted to have this conversation because I'm over. I needed to.

[Kia]

I need it. I very much need it.

[Jade]

Needed to. So we'll have a lot of these links to these different stats and articles and so forth linked in the description box so you can go and check it out for yourself as well. And then after you check it out, turn your phone off or at least click the screen off and go read. Go organize your pantry. When you organize your pantry, don't do nothing else. Just organize the pantry. Yeah. One thing at a time. Rest your understanding. Understanding.

[Kia]

Rest your understanding. Maybe I'll title the episode Rest your.

[Jade]

Yeah, I think that's actually perfect.

[Kia]

Noted.

[Jade]

Kia, take a letter. Rest your understanding. Title of the episode.

[Kia]

Yes. Let me write it down. Let me write it down.

[Jade]

Absolutely.

[Kia]

No, for sure. This has been dope. Thank you for suggesting we talk about this. I think this is super important and I, you know, there's a lot more to discuss. So if there are ways that resonated with you guys as a listening audience, you know, let's continue to check in with each other about this. And hold each other accountable.

[Jade]

Yeah.

[Kia]

And I literally had to stop multitasking as Jade is telling us to stop multitasking. I'm over here like, okay, yeah, you.

[Jade]

Gotta, you gotta be here now. Be present and where you are my brain multitask sister. Because I started thinking, I was like, wait, there's also. Exactly. Because I was thinking about the AI generated videos around Hurricane Melissa. And we also want to send immense love to the island of Jamaica to those who have suffered the effects of Hurricane Melissa and the effects of governments around the world who don't give a about us as human beings that have contributed to a lot of these kinds of climate causes. So we want to make sure we send a lot of love. We'll also have some resources for how you can help on the ground for Hurricane Melissa as well. I know that that was weirdly timed, but I forgot to put at the top of the episode. And I think it's also important to note because as we were talking about AI generation, a lot of even the content that people put out around these hurricanes and things, the information, misinformation, disinformation, a lot of oftentimes comes in the form of these AI videos when sometimes people are just looking for information on what's going on so they know how to help. But then, you know, people want to AI 75 sharks on a deck of a, of a rumbar. Like, stop, stop. This is, this is not helpful during this time.

[Kia]

Oh, and mighty God.

[Jade]

But anyway, yeah, like Kia said, this was a timely conversation. I think it's something that we need to check in with each other on. You know, as these times become more and more digital, people start getting girlfriends through goggles and things like that and you know, going on ice cream dates in France, but they live in Wyoming. Like, I think we just need to continue to have these conversations. Horrifying, horrifying, horrifying times on the horizon.

[Kia]

Oh my God.

[Jade]

Nothing's funny. Nothing's funny at all. Anyway.

[Kia]

Holy God.

[Jade]

Let's move on to our next segment.

[Kia]

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[Jade]

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[Kia]

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[Jade]

Go to SimpliSafe.com podcast that's SimpliSafe.com podcast for 60% off off. There's no safe like Simplisafe I deserve. You know I think this segment is so important in these times. I know that's right in self care because you know, we'd be digging deep in our pockets trying to find self cares these days. But it wasn't very hard this week because I was invited to a private event thrown by the Infused Supper Club. Shout out to Sharee.

[Kia]

Love it.

[Jade]

And it was such a beautifully curated event. So they are obviously cannabis dinner parties that really focus on ambiance and this particular one focused on ancestral divination and honoring our ancestors. Unless do that through food. And in general, chef Deborah, who is a Haitian chef here in New York, did the food and it was delicious. I had infused chocolates by mary bud chocolates BK which were 10mg and also I eventually ended up filling that and are beautiful because I had several of them in addition to many other things. They were, they're gorgeous. They look like little chocolate pieces of art. There were curated, curcated curated mocktails which were, you know, THC infused, a blueberry basil situation and a pineapple jalapeno with tahin the rim. It was just, it was so lovely and it's lovely because I always meet beautiful people at the events. So make sure you all go check out the Infused Supper Club on social media and see how you can get down because they are not, they're, they're ticketed but they're invite only, you know what I'm saying? So get with the winning to get in. You might see your girl one day soon, you know what I mean? Hit hit me right? But no. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful experiences and beautiful community coming together as well. So me and Tristan went, had us a little date night out. So shout out to Charisse for the invite and make sure you all go follow Infused Supper Club. What you. What you got this? How did you, how did you take care of your spirit? How did your spirit take care of itself.

[Kia]

This week? A couple of things I will add. I've been really trying to be more intentional and diligent around my sleep schedule, which has been particularly challenging because it's sort of the height of work, travel, end of year Work, travel. And I've been sort of bouncing back around time zones and so I'm really been very diligent in my sleep routine. I bought a weighted sleep.

[Jade]

Oh, yes, you told us about this.

[Kia]

And it is really kind of been a game changer. But I also have started to make these little, like, magnesium mocktails that I drink, I take. I take a cortisol supplement to manage my cortisol levels. And I sort of have been very recently taking these magnesium mocktails. Okay. Where. Where they are infused with magnesium and ashwagandha. Yes. To help to get you all, you know, settled down and getting the brain. Because I told you guys.

[Jade]

Sorry.

[Kia]

Yes. I struggle a lot of times, even when I get into bed, my mind is still processing multiple tabs. Again, to our conversation about multitasking. I'm really trying to get my brain out of the space of that. And so my routine has been getting a book.

[Jade]

Yes.

[Kia]

Cutting my screens off and taking my mocktail and literally, like reading to slow my brain down so that I might have a good night's sleep. So that has been one of the intentional ways I've been taking care of myself. And one of the things I'm going to try to do this week holding myself accountable is I need to set my appointments. We talked, we talked earlier this week, sis. We talked about needing to, you know, do our annuals and our mammograms and, and those kinds of. So I am hope I am working between this week and next week because I do travel again next week for work. Between this week and next week, I'm going to make my end of year doctor's appointments so that I can, you know, just get that, make sure that I'm. I'm getting that done and I can go into 2026 with all of the right information about, you know, where I am on my journey of taking care of myself.

[Jade]

Yes, I love that. I went and got my. My twaty bird looked at, had my annual and my. Got my referral for my mammogram. So I'm going for that too. Doing the eyes, the teeth, you know, all of this.

[Kia]

Gotta do the eyes, how to do the teeth.

[Jade]

So I agree with you. Yeah, this is just like the time. Clearly we're getting, you know, this is. Is community messaging. So. Yeah. Get it together, get it together. I love that. I love that. Well, let's close this thing out with these petty peeves. How. What say you?

[Kia]

Let's do it. Country. Petty, petty, petty. All the same to me.

[Jade]

Playing James Spaghetti. Okay, so Petty pee time.

[Kia]

Petty pee time.

[Jade]

I'm so irritated. Oh, if. If you all couldn't tell a few weeks ago or ever. If you couldn't tell a few weeks ago, I was sick. You know, I was trying to control my coughs. They were. They were controlling me. It was the whole thing. I got sick again three weeks later, and I never get sick. Never back to back in that way. Which is another reason why I wanted to have this conversation, because I was like, there's got to be other factors here. Outside of the majority of you just being disgusting, there's got to be other factors to this as well, you know, whether it be through stress or lack of sleep or lack of intentional sleep, you know, and things like that. But it irritated and was grinding my absolute gears that I was sick so close together, I was like, don't do antibodies not working a certain way. Like, well, how does this function's wrong. Something is amiss. So, yeah, I was sick two times in a row. I'm now on the tail end of it. But it took me out. It made me get some good sleep, but it did take me out for the week. And I'm really. I'm really disgusted about that. I also need you all to stop being disgusting in public. Put on your fucking mask if you're sick or stay the fuck at home. You know what I mean? Like, take your vitamin. Stop sneezing with your spittles and all your disgustingness in the air.

[Kia]

Just please, open air.

[Jade]

Look out for other people. It's not that difficult.

[Kia]

It's not.

[Jade]

So that's my petty peeve. I was sick twice in a row in a short amount of time, and I just don't feel like I deserve that. You know what I mean?

[Kia]

I agree with you.

[Jade]

Thank you.

[Kia]

My petty pee. I previewed a bit on my social media this week because I erupted when I looked into my inbox and realized that I have been invited to yet another Fireside Chat. So here's.

[Jade]

Wait.

[Kia]

I am just curious as to what is the meaning. Like, what is the cultural obsession with Fireside Chats? I feel like. I don't know if it was. If we can blame, you know, Mr. Rogers or Masterpiece Theater. There is an obsession across all disciplines. Academia, corporate America, nonprofit entertainment. Everybody feels like we want to sit by the fire and chat or hear somebody hear two people chat about a thing. I think I understand. And a lot of people sounded off in the comments. Folks were feeling like I'm feeling, but also others were saying, like, you know, it is to, you know, make topics feel more conversational or approachable or to sort of infuse this air of relatability and community around a specific conversation. But I just feel like if that's the case, we need to call it something else. Because it don't be no, it don't be no fires. We don't be sitting side the fires. We don't be sitting nowhere near the fires. And so it just, it, it just bothers me because this is some, and especially this time of year, as folks are wrapping up their lunch and learns and their sort of conversation. You know what I'm saying? Everyone wants to have a Fireside Chat. My, my job, like, you know, we have a convening coming up this week in Phoenix. We're going to be in Phoenix for Christ's sake. It's going to be 90 degrees and smack dab in the mid of the agenda is a Fireside Chat. Girl, I don't understand why we need to like, if we're gonna. It's not really a Fireside Chat. Like, it is, it is a, it is a conversation. It might be a, you know, a community hall discussion. It might be like, you know, even an interview or a panel. Like, let's just call it what it is. What it is not is a Fireside Chat.

[Jade]

I think their mini panels is what they really come across. To me, they said alternative terms that you can use for Fireside chat just for you all's help. A chin wag, a gab fest, a bull session, a heart to heart. Heart to heart and ask me anything. A casual conversation, a Q. A discussion. A Q.

[Kia]

Exactly.

[Jade]

A dialogue.

[Kia]

You know, there are so many words. There's so many. Any options?

[Jade]

No. Take powwow off of this list. You're not supposed to say that, period. But you can have a natter. You can have a natural.

[Kia]

This is what I'm saying. Like, let's just talk. Let's just talk about a thing. Like, you know what I'm saying? Boy. But I feel like we are overusing this and it really doesn't, I mean.

[Jade]

Oh, I have one to offer. Panolita little panel. Just call them panelitas now.

[Kia]

Mini panel.

[Jade]

Yeah, there you go.

[Kia]

Or like, listen, like, let's just like, I, I, I just wish that we could infuse some creativity and some honesty into the programming. Right. And let's not just fall back on the convention of, you know, things that are just used in overuse without any real thought. It's just sort of like, why are we calling it that? Like the director is Speaking to people. It is just like a moment with the director. It does not have to be a Fireside Chat. You know what I'm saying?

[Jade]

The director's great. It's clear.

[Kia]

This is what I'm saying. It's clear. It's direct. Everybody who's going to be there knows exactly what they're going to get. But I feel like, you know, it's nebulous. It is unclear in ways that to me, are annoying more than they are. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, is it a Q A? Like, am I. Am I allowed to ask questions? Or is it just a conversation between an interviewer and the person that we are featuring? Right. So I don't know. Right. Again, you know what it is?

[Jade]

People are. So. People want to do everything. Like. Like bespoke. Now I know, right.

[Kia]

No, like. But it's not. Because if everybody does it, then it's not bespoke.

[Jade]

It's not Taylor.

[Kia]

So they want to give this effect that it is, you know, this. You know, you know, it's not. You guys are not thinking. It's not thoughtful. So. So let's just call it what it is. And again, very petty. This is probably something that is insignificant to a lot of people. It's just something that got on my nerves when I look at my own inbox and saw it's like another Fireside Chat this week. My God.

[Jade]

For what?

[Kia]

We don't need it. We're not sitting by a fire. We're not.

[Jade]

We're not at a camp. We're not at a.

[Kia]

We're not.

[Jade]

Whatever those. Those team builders are. When you go to the.

[Kia]

We're not.

[Jade]

So we're not doing that.

[Kia]

So it's not a retreat.

[Jade]

No, it's not a retreat.

[Kia]

Exactly.

[Jade]

There's no fire.

[Kia]

There's no reflection. There's not. And there's may. In many cases. There is no opportunity. A chat suggests that you are also hearing from me. And in. In many cases, you're. This does not engage the audience in a way. People are just there to listen and creative of.

[Jade]

Like, that's what I'm saying. So I can come and say, you know what I would title it? This is not a Fireside Chat stain. That's what I thought.

[Kia]

That would make me chuckle. When I see that. That would make me chuckle and that would make me want to go.

[Jade]

Exactly. It would draw your attention.

[Kia]

This is not a fire. Thank God. This is not a Fireside Chat.

[Jade]

Back to our kitchen table. Like, get into Yalls critical thing. Have fun like niggas get crap.

[Kia]

Be like, you know, let's jazz it up. Like we all have to go do these things or you know, you know, whether or not they are a part of your life or what you do at work. I think it's cool. But like I, my hope is that we can be a bit more innovative when it comes to sort of the day to day things. Right. And think about your audience in ways that engage them as opposed to bore the brakes off of them.

[Jade]

Exactly.

[Kia]

That's just my thoughts.

[Jade]

I appreciate that. And I find that to be deliciously petty in the best way actually, because I feel like you're not the only one who has felt I can't be.

[Kia]

It's like, oh my Christ.

[Jade]

That's how I feel about panel in general. Like, I feel like some of you all misused the term panel. I don't know who these moderators are half the times, but they suck. So, you know, we can, we can really get into the nitties and truly of how much people suck. But I think that's a nice enough for this week. Thank you all so much for sitting with us at the kitchen table. Always a blast, always, always a good time. Make sure you're checking out the Patreon. Like we said, it's such a great help to the show. Even if you cannot join the Patreon to like subscribe and rate us. You know what I'm saying? Leave a little comment, do that across all platforms. It helps your girls out. And sis, I also again continue to pay for pray for the people of Jamaica, the people of Haiti, the people of Cuba, the people of Sudan, the people of Gaza, etc. Etc. And just take them out and tell us what to do.

[Kia]

Yes, make sure that you're taking care of yourselves and one another take, make sure that you're being intentional about that, especially in these times. And one of the ways that you can do that is by focusing and worrying about yourself. You can keep your mind moisturizing by attending to the business that is yours and yours alone. Okay? So mind your business as an act of self care, it really does make a difference. You also want to make sure that you're taking care of your body, moisturizing your insides by making sure you are hydrating consistently and frequently. And you know that's how you keep all of your insides moist and supple and functioning appropriately. You also want to make sure that you're taking care of your largest organ in the same regard which your skin, by moisturizing your skin Every day now we have, we're on the other side of daylight saving time for those that celebrate. And we are, you know, and we are, we are squarely into the final quarter and transitioning into our autumn, autumn, winter seasons.

[Jade]

Okay, wait, hold on, sister. I'm sorry, I have to interrupt the close out.

[Kia]

Okay.

[Jade]

Tristan thinks daylight savings time is, is pagan. Do you hear me? Like, like you want to talk about.

[Kia]

There is, there is a people. That's why I said to those who celebrate because some people have a very visceral reaction.

[Jade]

That is him. He was like, this is stupid. And I don't.

[Kia]

I love it. I love it. You know, that's my kind of carrying on. Tell us why you are mad about it. No. Yeah, I'm just saying that the, the. There's an autumnal crisp to the air and you want to be. And you know, this is a good time for those of us who love and celebrate this time. But you know, just around the, around the calendar, around the clock, we advocate for moisturizing your skin around here because if not, you're going to start to age in the same way that these hateful people do. And we just can't have that. We cannot have that. So, you know, be resistant to racism and ash by moisturizing your skin every day.

[Jade]

Yeah.

[Kia]

And that's. That will help you to ensure that your black will not crack because it will if it's dry.

[Jade]

Remember when Kris Jenner thought Beyonce dressed up as her for Halloween? All right, I'm done.

[Kia]

What?

[Jade]

Have a good day.

[Kia]

No.

[Jade]

What the delusion.

[Kia]

Like, ma', am, what is that? When. Is that when she did the Tony Braxton.

[Jade]

You know it. Oh, she said Beyonce. Oh, my God, I love it so much.

[Kia]

Girl. Get a. Get a grip, yo.

[Jade]

That's the best kind of delusion in the world. All right, you guys, sorry.

[Kia]

This is an Etsy holiday ad, but you won't hear any sleigh bells or classic carols. Instead, you'll hear something original. The sound of an Etsy holiday, which sounds like this. Now that special. Want to hear it again? Get original and affordable gifts from small shops on Etsy. For gifts that say I get you shop Etsy. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Commercial Insurance. Business owners, meet Progressive Insurance. They make it easy to get discounts on commercial auto insurance and find coverages to grow with your business quote in as little as 8 [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company. Coverage provided and serviced by affiliated and third party insurers. Discounts and coverage selections not available in all states or situations.