A look at creators pioneering mental health for men
+how the creator economy grew into a $250 billion industry and the cultural moments | news that caught our attention this week
quick summary ⚡️
Highlighting the tactics of 3 creators passionately advocating for men's mental health through their digital content
Breaking down the timeline of the internet, from the first blog to today’s TikTok era
The latest “hot new” app, TikTok’s Creator Fund is coming to an end, and more in the cultural moments and news that caught our attention this week
A peek at Melissa’s daily “awe” walk
ones to watch: men’s mental health creators
Curated by Megan Collins, Cultural Anthropologist, Generational Expert and contributor to the MTD blog
Amid the growing Loneliness epidemic, mental health is important for everyone, regardless of gender. While the realm of feelings has traditionally excluded men, there's good news: men are becoming more open about their mental health, and there are more resources available to help them than ever before.
Men are realizing that toxic masculinity can harm them as well and that it's okay to talk about their feelings. Perhaps most importantly, society is starting to see men who talk about needing and getting help as a sign of strength, not weakness. This month, we're sharing three creators who are passionately advocating for men's mental health through their digital content.
Justin Baldoni & Man Enough
Justin Baldoni is creating a safe space for men to feel their feelings
While he's best known for his role as the leading love interest in CW's Jane the Virgin, the actor is also a passionate advocate for men's mental health. Along with his friends Jamey Heath and Liz Plank, he hosts the podcast Man Enough and released a book of the same name. In his work, he speaks openly about his own struggles with anxiety and depression, interviews other men, and encourages them to seek help when they need it, not if.
Liz Plank
The feminist who loves men
Alongside Justin Baldoni, Liz Plank is a creator, thinker, and author who is passionate about improving relational dynamics between men & women. In addition to co-hosting the Man Enough and Synced podcasts she has written a book called “For The Love of Men.” Billed as an exploration of “how we can create a safe space for men to define their own version of mindful masculinity” the book is representative of Liz’s empathetic and optimistically-minded approach to the men’s mental health crisis.
Richie Brave
An up & coming UK-based radio presenter and podcaster speaking passionately about mental health
Richie Brave is a presenter and the self-described "host of Radio's biggest group chat," aka his live radio show, 1Xtra Talks. Listeners can call or tweet in to the live broadcast or listen back later like a podcast as he talks about "all the topics that matter to young people in the UK." From Black literature to aliens to Incel culture, he approaches topics with a lens that's sensitive to mental health and wellness, and he encourages other men to do the same.
for more from Megan, head to the MTD blog
from mommy bloggers to TikTok stars: how creators built a $250B industry
Starting from a single blog 30 years ago, the creator economy has since grown into a $250 Billion dollar industry with millions of millions of content creators.
and and Drew Harwell of The Washington Post break down key moments from the rise of the creator economy, from the first blogs to today’s TikTok era…1997-2005: Blogging takes off
“The first easy-to-use tools for online publishing appear, allowing anyone with light computer skills to share their thoughts with a digital community.”
2006-2009: The party photo era
“Nightlife photography moves online, propelling a new generation of ‘it girls’ to cult fandom on blogs like Hipster Runoff and the Cobrasnake. Together with the rise of reality TV and viral video stars on YouTube, they transform the definition of celebrity, making it seem as if almost anyone can become famous.”
2010-2013: Money floods in
“Technological advances supercharge mobile phone use, allowing creators to easily record videos and upload them for a rapidly growing audience of smartphone users. Venture capitalists take note, pouring cash into multichannel networks, which offer YouTube creators services such as audience development and monetization in exchange for a cut of their earnings.”
2014-2016: America goes viral
“The wild growth of video apps like Vine and Snapchat — as well as the microblogging site Twitter — reveal the power of the internet to make any random person famous. But that power also begins to be weaponized, opening a bitter, new front in the culture war.”
2017-2019: Backlash and burnout
“The election of Donald Trump as president turns a spotlight on social media and its most problematic content, including misinformation and extreme stunts by content creators. Creators, meanwhile, start speaking openly about the mental health costs of nonstop creation and the tyranny of social media algorithms.”
2020-2023: The TikTok era
“As the coronavirus pandemic shuts down public life around the globe, people turn to their phones for shopping and entertainment. Downloads of TikTok and Twitch spike, and views skyrocket for online creators of every stripe.”
more from The Washington Post
💎cultural gems💎
The cultural moments and news that caught our attention this week:
The hot new thing in social media is here. Again. (NY Times). “Lapse, a photo app with the tagline ‘friends not followers.’ Much like Dispo, Lapse encourages people to take pictures the way they did in the analog days, when disposable cameras were all the rage. Users snap photos and ‘develop’ them in the app.”
TikTok is ending its $2 Billion creator fund (NBC News). TikTok will be officially discontinuing their Creator Fund on Dec. 16th. TikTok will then phase in the Creativity Program where creators can “earn up to 20 times the amount previously offered by the Creator Fund." You can learn more about the Creativity Program here.
What should I buy my 60-year-old dad who is in a Jewish motorcycle gang? (The Strategist). Gift ideas for the people in your life with niche interests.
3 Trends Vol. 25: Sarah Unger: Aspirational Stability, Blurred (Platform) Lines + Psych Edu ( ). Shoutout to MTD pal Sarah Unger on being featured in
’s Substack. One insight that jumped out for us… “Lately, I’ve been seeing heightened discussion around people using platforms for - gasp! - something other than their intended mission. People are going on LinkedIn to date and using dating apps like Grindr to professionally network.”
inspo
✍️ notes from Melissa Blum, M.T. Deco Founder & CEO
a look at my daily awe walk [9am PT, 11/6] 🍃
I’ve embraced walking this year through pregnancy, but it’s through the rote consistency of doing the same walk during these early postpartum weeks that the practice has become a meditation.
I’m now calling it an awe walk not just because it’s gorg, but because of the wonderful Kristin Kemnitzer and her recommendation to read AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.
“Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the current world.”
… and as author / psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley Dacher Keltner, writes, “Twenty years into teaching happiness, I have an answer: FIND AWE.”
For me, this currently lies in the simplicity of seeing the seasons change in a daily walk [and yes, the seasons do change here in Northern California ☺️].
connect with Melissa here