In this short instructional video, the speaker acknowledges the heightened political and racial tensions on social media, especially surrounding the upcoming election and Vice President Kamala Harris. Recognizing that such content can be irritating, frustrating, and upsetting, the speaker emphasizes the importance of protecting one’s mental and emotional health while still engaging in necessary work. Viewers are offered practical options for handling inflammatory posts: block the source, unfollow the source, or address the content. If choosing to address it, the speaker recommends using the R.E.M. framework from their TEDx talk “Can We Talk?”—Respect, Empathy, Maturity—augmented with curiosity (described as “hot sauce”). The speaker advises moving the conversation to a private direct message rather than a public reply, to avoid the echo chamber of the poster’s followers and to foster a more reflective dialogue. The goal is not necessarily to change the other person’s mind but to gain understanding through respectful, empathetic, mature, and curious questioning. The video concludes with a call to share and save the advice.
