By Colby Kultgen

Digital Intermittent Fasting, Viral Content Breakdowns, and Happiness Survivor's Guilt

Read online / Read time: 4 minutes
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The digital intermittent fasting challenge I'm starting

I'm not going to lie, this tweet kind of shook me.

And it came at a really interesting time.

A close friend of mine is about to start Ramadan, and it's got me thinking a lot about the idea of intentional restriction.

And specifically, how I can apply that concept to the never-ending battle with screen time we all seem to be waging.

So here's what I came up with:

For the next 30 days, I’m doing something I call digital intermittent fasting.

From 8pm to 8am, I’m completely off.
No phone. No laptop. Nothing with a screen.

I always make an effort to be intentional with my technology, but this time I’m putting real boundaries around it.

Here's my challenge to you:
​Pick one thing in your life that you know needs more discipline. And for the next 30 days, put a clear rule around it.

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30-second viral content breakdowns I can't stop watching - realskytan on IG​

I'm addicted to these videos.

​This guy is a content strategist who dissects viral reels—breaking down every single element that made them work.

The hook in the first frame.
The pacing.
The psychological triggers.
The editing choices.

If you're interested in creating content (especially short-form video), these are an absolute goldmine.

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A concept that hit hard for me

This quote is from a Substack article I read recently, and it perfectly articulated something I think many of us have experienced.

Happiness survivor's guilt.

Personally, I battled anxiety and depression for years.

And here's what nobody tells you about getting better: sometimes it feels wrong.

When you've lived in fight-or-flight mode for so long, your nervous system doesn't really know what to do with calm.

You finally reach a place where things are actually good, and instead of relief, there's this weird guilt or unease. Like you're waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I don't have a tidy conclusion for this.

But here's what I've learned: you have to give yourself permission to be happy. Not in some toxic positivity way, just acknowledging that thriving after surviving isn't something to feel guilty about.

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A theory about media I found fascinating

I think this is a fun theory to consider.

Not just for the nostalgia, but because revisiting what brought us joy as kids can help us reconnect with things we've lost as adults.

A few immediately came to mind for me:

Roller Coaster Tycoon 2.
The Lord of The Rings Trilogy.
Calvin and Hobbes.

But ultimately I landed on this:

My mom played this album on a loop in our house when I was a kid, and I've been obsessed with music ever since. I think I would be a very different person now if she hadn't exposed me to so much great music when I was young.
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I'd be curious to know what it was for you?

Reply to this email and let me know!

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😂

Have a great week!

— Colby

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