A New Year's Resolution You'll Actually Keep

Most New Year's resolutions expire faster than grocery store flowers. Gym memberships gather dust by February; diet plans crumble at the first office birthday cake; ambitious reading lists mock us from unclicked browser tabs. The problem isn't lack of willpower - it's friction. We set goals that require Herculean effort to maintain, then wonder why ordinary mortals fail.

This is one resolution that requires approximately zero effort: follow a few intelligent voices on social media. Specifically, TikTok - that supposedly brain-rotting platform your kids use for dance videos and makeup tutorials. Turns out there are people using it to actually think in public, and following them costs nothing but might rewire how you see the world. (Revolutionary concept, I know.)

Voices Worth Following

Here's my current rotation of voices worth your attention:

Quick Thoughts (@lthlnkso) - Does exactly what the name promises: succinct cultural commentary without the bloat. Most videos run over five minutes - longer than typical TikTok shorts, but still focused.

The Conservative Immigrant (@conservativeimmigrant) - Tony is a Black first-generation conservative immigrant who offers cultural and political commentary. His perspective carries weight precisely because it comes from someone who chose America rather than inherited it.

Warren Smith (@warrensmithsecretscholar) - Teacher who got fired after a viral video about critical thinking and trans ideology. Now runs the Secret Scholar Society teaching Socratic method. Makes you wonder what we're not allowed to question in classrooms anymore.

John Stossel - The libertarian grandfather we all need. Decades of investigative journalism distilled into bite-sized exposés of government overreach and regulatory absurdity. If you've never watched Stossel dismantle a bad policy with nothing but data and raised eyebrows, you're missing peak deadpan.

The Free Press - Bari Weiss and company bringing actual journalism to a platform dominated by hot takes. They cover stories the legacy media won't touch (except maybe CBS News now, thanks to Bari), with intellectual honesty that's become endangered elsewhere.

thatskaizen - Kaizen Asiedu (Harvard grad, Emmy winner) runs the "Clear Thinker" newsletter teaching you how to spot media manipulation tactics. Elon Musk called him "a clear thinker," which probably tells you something about both of them.

Jeffrey Mead (@the_jefferymead) - Black conservative from Barbados offering political and cultural commentary. Two million followers suggest he's saying something people want to hear.

Ryan Tillman (@breaking_barriers_united) - Police officer in California who founded Breaking Barriers United to bridge the gap between law enforcement and communities. Author of Happy Eyes. Trying to make things better rather than just complaining about how bad they are.

Kirk Cameron (@kirkcameron.official) - Yes, that Kirk Cameron. Hosts Takeaways on TBN, discusses faith and family and cultural issues with the same earnestness he brought to Growing Pains, minus the mullet. Love him or find him a bit much, he's consistent.

Nick Shirley (@nickshirleyy) - Independent journalist doing field reporting from places most media won't go (despite being paid well to do that very thing). His recent work in Minnesota—walking into alleged daycare centers during business hours and finding no children despite millions in state funding—has become the story of the moment, with his 42-minute exposé snagging over 90 million views in under 72 hours. On-the-ground reality versus ivory tower speculation.

Shirley's Minnesota footage dropped the day after Christmas, and by the time you read this, the FBI has announced a surge of agents to the state. Vice President Vance called his work "far more useful journalism than any 2024 Pulitzer Prize winners."

A 23-year-old in a grey hoodie, armed with a camera and a willingness to knock on doors, is now prompting congressional demands for accountability over what prosecutors are calling "industrial-scale fraud" in the state's childcare and social services programs—with total losses (so far) thought to be in the billions, and federal investigators now examining whether any funds were transferred overseas. This single YouTuber uncovered in 42 minutes with his smartphone what Legacy media has had years and an arsenal of professional equipment to investigate. That's not a bug in the newsgathering ecosystem, it's the feature I'm recommending you take advantage of.

Why No Theology Accounts?

Now, you might notice something conspicuous by its absence: distinctly theological voices. This isn't an accident. There are many sound, orthodox teachers and pastors posting excellent material online - some even on TikTok. But I've made it a deliberate practice to keep my theological influences heavily weighted toward sources I've come to trust - specifically, pastor-teachers I know in real life and the institutions that trained and sent them.

This isn't about video length or platform limitations. It's about accountability and established trust. Theology carries eternal weight, and I prefer getting mine from people whose character and doctrine I can verify through more than an algorithm. Cultural commentary? Fair game from anywhere sharp minds are thinking clearly. Theology? I'm more selective about which voices shape my spiritual understanding.

This isn't gatekeeping; it's prudence. Get your cultural analysis from wherever intelligence surfaces. Get your doctrine from churches, books, and teachers with proven accountability structures and the endorsement of people you trust in real life.

So here's your January first gift: a resolution that requires nothing but a few taps on your phone. Follow some of these voices. Let their clarity interrupt your doom-scrolling. You won't become smarter overnight, but you might start asking better questions - and that's often where wisdom begins.

Besides, if you're going to waste time on social media anyway (statistics say you will!), you might as well waste it on people who are actually saying something worth hearing.

Happy New Year. Make it a thoughtful one.

Iggy Whitlock
Punctum Dictum