The Aftershow: Flourishing Online (with Josh Howard)

In this aftershow episode of The Connection Effect, host Bill Groner reflects on his recent conversation with Josh Howard. Bill is joined by Harry Hofer (Executive Coach), Dee Sullivan (Marketing Director), and Laura Onelio (Internal Family Systems practitioner). While the main episode made a case for the positive potential of social media, this conversation gets personal and honest. Each member of the group arrives with their own complicated relationship to the platforms they use every day, and together they work through what Josh's research actually means for how they scroll, post, and connect. Together, the group explores: Whether social media does more harm or good — and how listening to Josh shifted more than one person's default answer How the five elements of PERMA show up in real, everyday social media use — from memes becoming inside jokes to a Facebook group that rebuilt a sense of hometown community The fine line between doom scrolling and gratitude scrolling, and what it actually looks like to cross it on purpose The conversation closes with a line from Josh that Bill carried into the aftershow: "Social media is a tool, and a tool is only as good as the intention we bring to it." This group spent the conversation proving exactly why that's easier said than done — and worth trying anyway. Topics of Discussion: 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:43 How Bill Knows Josh 01:19 Is Social Media Good 07:02 Which Platforms We Use 09:59 PERMA and Wellbeing 13:42 Relationships and Community 18:40 Gratitude vs Doomscrolling 22:11 Comparison and Reality Filters 28:58 Dopamine and Time Limits 34:52 Social Media Not Real Life 42:08 New Intentions and Wrap Up Connect with The Connection Effect Join the community and conversation on The Connection Effect Substack connection.net/substack Questions? Guest inquiries? Email: [email protected]