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BRB: A Memoir About Coming Of Age In The Digital Age
We used to say BRB when we walked away from our computers. We don’t say that anymore. We live here now.
How has that shift affected our mental health? That’s the question Lauren has been trying to answer for the past decade, exploring the intersection of mental health and social media use. This is her story of coming of age in the digital age, all while her undiagnosed anxiety disorder bubbles under the surface until finally demanding to be treated.
During her recovery process, she continues to hear a faint little voice that grows louder and louder the more she ignores it. That faint little voice reveals itself to be the solution we’re all searching for.
It’s not a pill, a self-help guru or a 10 day retreat to Bali. The solution to FOMO, and the anxiety, depression and general life dissatisfaction it breeds, is to come home to ourselves and reconnect with that little voice of intuition. Re-learning how to trust ourselves, be more mindful of the content we’re consuming and, in general, live life with more intention.
This book will encourage readers to do just that, in order to break the spell of the flashy news headlines and infinite social media scrolls distracting us from our real, embodied lives.
Who were you before the internet told you who to be? Let’s remember, together.
How has that shift affected our mental health? That’s the question Lauren has been trying to answer for the past decade, exploring the intersection of mental health and social media use. This is her story of coming of age in the digital age, all while her undiagnosed anxiety disorder bubbles under the surface until finally demanding to be treated.
During her recovery process, she continues to hear a faint little voice that grows louder and louder the more she ignores it. That faint little voice reveals itself to be the solution we’re all searching for.
It’s not a pill, a self-help guru or a 10 day retreat to Bali. The solution to FOMO, and the anxiety, depression and general life dissatisfaction it breeds, is to come home to ourselves and reconnect with that little voice of intuition. Re-learning how to trust ourselves, be more mindful of the content we’re consuming and, in general, live life with more intention.
This book will encourage readers to do just that, in order to break the spell of the flashy news headlines and infinite social media scrolls distracting us from our real, embodied lives.
Who were you before the internet told you who to be? Let’s remember, together.
Paperback
Published April 1, 2021
About the author
Lauren Ellman
3 books1 followerLauren Ellman is a published author and podcast host who explores the intersection of mental health and social media use. She has spent the last decade personally investigating the self-help industry, discovering what her own brand of happy is. She documents her findings on her blog, MyBrandOfHappy.com, which has garnered an engaged social media following. Her podcast, the Perfcked Podcast, with over 3.5k downloads, shares life behind the filters of the influential content creators she interviews.
Lauren graduated cum laude with a Bachelors in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Creative Writing. She lives in South Florida with her husband, stepsons and daughter. When she’s not momming and writing, you can find her on the couch, in leggings, re-watching the same TV series for the 100th time.
Lauren graduated cum laude with a Bachelors in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Creative Writing. She lives in South Florida with her husband, stepsons and daughter. When she’s not momming and writing, you can find her on the couch, in leggings, re-watching the same TV series for the 100th time.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 25, 2021
BRB is a nostalgic and hard hitting truth punch to the gut. It will open your eyes to the way growing up holding hands with the internet and social media has influenced who you are, and what's even more beautiful, it will inspire you to break that all down and start anew. A fresh and important memoir every millennial must read.
April 13, 2021
Adored this book and found it to really be so relatable. It was a great read during a week when my relationship with social media felt rocky. Ellman is a fantastic writer who fills the book with advice and stories that make you feel like you've known her for a lifetime. Highly recommend!
May 14, 2021
Just ordered! Super excited to cozy up and read (without social media) to enjoy Lauren's humor, heart, and insight.
May 24, 2021
I listened the audiobook version (offered as a pre-order bonus, which was a nice surprise), and greatly enjoyed it. It's a bit weird feeling nostalgic about someone ELSE'S past, but there is so much of it that I related to that it felt like I was right at home through large chunks of it.
I found Lauren via TikTok, and very much loved this deep dive into what makes her tick... and the fact that she managed to pull off such a great balance of humour and heart-felt reminiscing of the technological (and at times straight-up emotional) past is nothing sort of wonderous.
Highly recommended for anyone old enough to remember AOL Keyword chatrooms or how to wind a cassette with a pencil... or, really, even if you don't, you just might end up a bit confused how the old-timers used to do things now and then. Now I feel old... but in an ok kinda way? Yeah.
I found Lauren via TikTok, and very much loved this deep dive into what makes her tick... and the fact that she managed to pull off such a great balance of humour and heart-felt reminiscing of the technological (and at times straight-up emotional) past is nothing sort of wonderous.
Highly recommended for anyone old enough to remember AOL Keyword chatrooms or how to wind a cassette with a pencil... or, really, even if you don't, you just might end up a bit confused how the old-timers used to do things now and then. Now I feel old... but in an ok kinda way? Yeah.
March 7, 2023
This book opened my mind up tremendously! So thankful for the author sharing her life experiences, some of them I would never admit to the public personally. I see a lot of myself in her and could relate to a lot of the book! Very brave and very good read! Recommend to anyone in their 20’s dealing with mental health struggles, really eye opening!
May 28, 2021
This memoir is a sincere evaluation of what it means to live in the digital world. Ellman uses humorous anecdotes and stories from her own life to tell a relatable tale about how the onset of the digital age has impacted her life. Important questions are asked about the meaning of it all, and how we can regain control in a virtual world tailor made to keep us hooked! This is an important read for anyone in a digital rut, or anyone looking to improve their relationship with their own digital persona.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews