Take a minute (or ten) to check in with the good vibes making chatter below

Seems January just flew by. Though there’s been a ton to digest since the start of 2017, we’ve rounded up just a few of our favorite online finds for your reading pleasure. Nat Geo tackles social media tourism, the crew at Monster Children conduct a news-related experiment, Outdoor Magazine talks electro-smog and more. Take a minute (or ten) to check in with the good vibes making chatter below.

How Instagram Is Changing Travel, National Geographic

Insta-travel: it’s booming. More and more wanderers and wayward souls are planning trips around locales they’ve found through Instagram, and the outcomes can be questionable. More on that above.

I Consumed Nothing But Fox News For A Week, Monster Children

We appreciate an effort to understand other perspectives and we commend the crew at Monster Children for trying. They really did. The outcome wasn’t pretty, but it was informative. Find out what they learned via the link up top.

Are Backwoods Beats Really Harmless?, Outdoor Magazine

We love the great outdoors. But between the music we stream, the photos we share and the GPS we use, are we really disconnecting or are we diluting our outdoor experience? What effect is all this connectivity having on our natural surroundings? Hint: it’s not good. You might think twice about staying connected during your next excursion. Click on for more information.

Marcus Aurelius on How to Motivate Yourself to Get Out of Bed in the Morning and Go to Work, Brain Pickings

Marcus Aurelius as proto-blogger? Actually, yes. This was a man ages ahead of his time. Give your morning Instagram scroll a rest, instead get some advice from an ancient emperor who pioneered the idea of purpose as it pertains to work.

Nobody Gets Hurt, Point East

Not everything goes according to plan. Just ask this writer, whose early boat writings didn’t quite elicit the response he expected (or wanted). We all make mistakes, and this maritime writer is reflecting on his. Click on, landlubbers.