Ink Speak with Maverick Malone

← Ink Speak with Maverick Malone30 Dec 2025 · 32 min

52. Intermission: “The Art of Standing Still” – on the Attention Economy & Social Media Burnout

52. Intermission: “The Art of Standing Still” – on the Attention Economy & Social Media Burnout30 Dec 202532 min

I’m still on hiatus but this felt necessary. This intermission episode explores how social media and the attention economy have subtly trained us to equate metrics with meaning, output with worth, and visibility with existence, often without us realizing it. Over time, this conditioning leads to social media burnout, digital fatigue, and a constant pressure to perform.

This is a think-piece episode and an invitation to slow down and examine why we create, why we post, and who benefits from our constant production and performance. We’ll question:

Why we feel pressured to constantly create and performHow productivity became proof of relevanceWho actually profits from our attention and exhaustionAs we approach a tipping point in the attention economy and the emergence of a new paradigm, discernment, self-inquiry, and self-awareness are more important than ever. They’re how we protect our energy, reclaim our agency, and choose consciously rather than reactively.

This episode invites you to reclaim your attention, step out of fear-based loops, and return to something more intentional, grounded, and human.

If you’ve been feeling:

Drained by social media but unsure whyTired of being marketed to at every turnPressure to stay visible just to stay relevantA quiet sense that something about all of this feels off…this episode is for you.

You can check out the substack article I referenced here - "You are not your Output & You Don’t Owe Substack or Social Media Anything"