Kylie Pascoe: From Scroll to Soul – Reimagining Media for Emotional ROI

By Kylie Pascoe, General Manager, Melbourne, Hearts & Science

Australians are living in a paradox: endless scrolling promises connection yet delivers fatigue. The tug-of-war between dopamine hits and a deeper craving for calm is real, and brands can’t ignore it.

Hearts & Science is championing a shift from scroll to soul, putting mental health and wellbeing ahead of burnout. As Kylie Pascoe, General Manager – Melbourne, explains, this movement is reshaping how we engage with media and brands.

In partnership with The Lab, Hearts & Science has tracked cultural patterns from an analysis of 5.6 million data points and 382,000 conversations, which reveal the behavioural shifts influencing Australians.

We all know the behaviours to watch out for, but damn, are those behaviours addictive. It’s that pull between wanting to stay connected and needing to feel calm and clear. Between the quick dopamine hit of the next swipe and the deeper craving for meaning.

We’re living in a paradox. We’re more plugged in than ever, yet feeling more drained. Our social feeds are overflowing, but our emotional energy is running on empty. According to the Change of Heart research, 73% of Australians express negative sentiment around attention tension, and digital wellbeing conversations have surged by 42% year-on-year. For example, dopamine-scrolling creates a cycle of reward-seeking behaviour, which can lead to tolerance development and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

Anxiety, fatigue, and burnout are becoming the price of staying connected. And it’s not just teens – it’s everyone, from students to CEOs, asking the same question: How much is too much?

The change is already happening. People are curating their media like they curate their meals – choosing quality over quantity, nourishment over noise. Digital detoxes are on the rise, “right to disconnect” is gaining traction, and content that restores rather than depletes is in demand. We’re moving from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to JOMO (Joy of Missing Out). And that’s reshaping how Australians engage with brands and media.

For brands, this is a chance to show up differently. It’s not about grabbing attention anymore – it’s about earning trust and emotional permission. That means creating media experiences that feel respectful, restorative, and real. Asking not just “Will they see it?” but “Will they welcome it?”

What does this mean in practice?

Design for energy – prioritise interactions that feel good, not just frequent. Eliminate dark patterns, no tricks, no traps, just respect for people’s time and autonomy. And act as a cultural recharge point. It’s not about doing less; it’s about doing better.

Looking ahead, the question isn’t “How do we get noticed?” It’s “How do we make people feel?” For David Jones, this has meant leaning into the ‘silly sale season’ with a focus on their revamped Rewards program, rather than just discounts. For Viva Energy and Reddy Express, this has meant spending tens of thousands of dollars activating ‘free fuel’ giveaways with their media partners, because they know the real impact this can make to real people’s lives.

In a world of endless scrolls, the brands that design for the soul and show up with purpose will thrive.

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