Mindful Media

Project Reboot Newsletter Week 5

Feb 16, 2026

Dear Rebooters,

Writing this newsletter is one of my favorite parts of my week. Although it comes with plenty of friction, it gives me an opportunity to meditate on all of the ideas around tech intentionality I engaged with in the past week, and to ready myself for all the energy of a new week in Project Reboot.

A theme of this past week was how the intentional consumption of good media can shape your life for the better. I have a lot of thoughts on this: If you’re interested, here's a Substack I wrote last year. This is the TLDR:

The media we engage with has such a profound impact on our lives that we should make an effort to curate it. Because it has such a profound impact, it is worthwhile to consider where the media you engage with is coming from, how long you are engaging with it, and what kind of influence it has on you.

Try this question next time you want to spark an interesting conversation with your friends: What is the most impactful piece of media you have ever consumed?

It probably won’t be a TikTok. It might not even be informative content; The movie Madagascar II is the most impactful movie I have ever seen.

Prime Video: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa — Rarely a subscriber to doctrines, I fully embrace King Julian’s philosophy of Epicureanism

If you are interested in getting more intentional about the media you consume, at Project Reboot we believe you can do better than just send reels to your roommates: You can airplay them on the TV.

Sharing books, podcasts, YouTube Videos, and –yes, even reels, is a great way to connect with each other.

Tech Tip: Try out our Custom Media Recommendation GPT

One great way to get intentional about your consumption of media is to use algorithms that actually have your best interest in mind. MMM Professor Lucas Miller and Project Reboot Founder Dino Ambrosi made this Custom GPT so you try curating your content diet by subscribing to good-influencers.

Next Week In Project Reboot

Events:

Let’s Talk About It – Upper Sproul Friday, 2/20 at 1pm

At this point, we’re all aware of the issue: we’re all addicted to our cellphones! It’s okay, there is no shame. We didn’t ask for this. If you are interested in having a face-to-face discussion about what you can do to take back your time and use your tech with radical intentionality, come join us. We’re going to have a mass conversation about our next steps in the battle against digital dependance on Sproul Friday, 2/20 at 1pm. We’re going to use this time together to take back the things we’ve been losing to big tech: Connection, Reflection, and Meaningful Leisure.

Sunday Reboot Hike

Do you ever find yourself spending your whole Sunday bed rotting and doomscrolling? Let’s change that! Come start your week off right with Project Reboot. We will be meeting in front of the International House and taking to the fire trails at 10:30am. Leave your phone at home, grab a coffee from Edmond’s, and enjoy a morning in nature with good conversation! RSVP here!

Last Week In Project Reboot

Cupid called and Project Reboot answered! Over 300 Cal students looking for love filled out our blind date form and got set up with a compatible stranger to answer Dr. Arthur Aron’s 36 Questions to Fall in Love– and fall in love they did!

One anonymous student says, “I’ve never connected with someone at Berkeley the way I did with (redacted) on our blind date.”

This sentiment was echoed across campus, with many matches making plans to hang out again and the overwhelming majority declaring that they enjoyed the experience. Other students partook in the experience on the glade or at the Botanical Gardens with a randomly paired classmate. One platonic pairing said,

“It’s crazy how much we have in common! Our passions, values, and interests are so aligned and we never would have gotten to know each other if we hadn’t gone through this experience.”

We hope the 36 Questions inspired participants to open their hearts and minds to new connections. May connection be in the air all year long!