We’re back with another edition of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs.

Here are the topics we covered this week:

* Friction-maxxing and the return of inconvenience [0:00]. We dug into The Cut’s prediction that “friction-maxxing” will be a defining theme of 2026—building tolerance for inconvenience, effort, and human interaction after years of frictionless digital life. Megan Collins predicted this a year ago in her Substack piece, Friction is good, actually, arguing that as people burn out on algorithmic ease, they’re actively seeking what the internet stripped away: struggle, effort, and presence.

* Our POV: Looking back on the other marketing and social media trends that we’ve been tracking [the rise of hybrid events, the analog comeback, the return of customer service, etc.], “friction” and human connection is a connective thread. This friction isn’t about making life harder for the sake of it—it’s about meaning. Brands should think like facilitators, not distributors. The opportunity isn’t friction for friction’s sake—it’s designing moments where effort leads to belonging. In a world optimized for speed, the brands that win will slow people down in ways that feel earned and communal.

* Additional reading:

* The pendulum always swings back: why 2026 is the Year of the Human Touch

* In 2026, we’re Friction-maxxing, The Cut

* Friction is good, actually, Cool Shiny Culture

* Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture by Kyle Chayka

* When branded content becomes entertainment [12:00]. From WhatsApp producing a Netflix doc on Mercedes F1, to Dick’s Sporting Goods launching an in-house studio, to AB InBev partnering with Netflix on live sports—and even Instagram testing TV-native Reels—brands are moving beyond sponsored posts into long-form storytelling. We also explored the rise of mini-dramas, vertical soap operas, BookTok-to-screen pipelines, and whether Quibi was simply ahead of its time.

* Our POV: This shift is inevitable—but execution is everything. The brands that succeed will partner with real creators, treat content like a newsroom (not a campaign), and resist over-marketing to audiences. The risk isn’t more content—it’s bad content. Done well, branded entertainment can feel additive; done poorly, it feels like a long-form commercial.

* Additional reading:

* Branded entertainment will just be entertainment in 2026, Fast Company

* Micro-dramas are turning TikTok into a soap opera and brands want a starring role, The Drum

* Why brands need to launch social shows in 2026

* IGTV is back, with an Instagram Reels TV app, Social Media Today

* Digital detoxes, Brick, and the future of screentime [28:00]. We closed with the rise of Brick (the physical device that locks you out of apps), renewed predictions about dumb phones, and whether digital detoxes are a real behavior shift or just a New Year’s resolution cycle. The conversation landed less on quitting phones entirely and more on identifying where phone use actually causes harm—especially around sleep, impulse control, and dopamine chasing.

* Our POV: Phones aren’t the problem—they’re the amplifier. The future isn’t total abstinence, but more intentional boundaries. Whether it’s improving sleep hygiene, reducing guilt around “light” scrolling, or rethinking how tech fits into real life, the next phase of digital wellness is about awareness, not extremes.

* Additional reading:

* Bricking your phone is the new Dry January, Business Insider

* 10 predictions of life in 2026, The New York Times

* What a digital detox can do for you, The Wall Street Journal

* Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Thanks for listening! 🎧 🤍

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