Writer's Journal

The Problem with Information

the problem with information consumption is that it isn't productive by itself. rather information takes up so much of our attention and time in a day that gives us an illusion of engagement but the end outcome with it is always a waste of our:

this waste then also triggers a flurry of emotional responses such as feelings of

no matter how well aware we are of these frills of information consumption, we still find ourselves ending up in this toxic consumption loop.

so why does that happen?

the only answer I have found for this complex and recurring situation of information overconsumption is -

because we do not respect ourselves

yes, I know this is a harsh one. but this is the truth. people don't squander away things, people, or resources they respect and regard. say for example money, those who spend their night and days to earn, know the value of each penny. they think twice before spending it anywhere let alone splurging it.

the good thing about money is once you have a lot of it you can choose to splurge without hesitation. but will you do the same with your time or your energy?

the sad part is that we spend hours a day consuming information because we aren't able to equate how much time we have wasted in consuming it. because evaluating what's of value when it comes to information consumption is super subjective and vague.

on the internet, everything is designed in a way to hold your attention for as long as possible. and everything on the internet is made up of information again. so at the end of the day, it's not about the format or the platform but rather the end goal of that information being served.

Think about Instagram for a moment. The entire ecosystem is built around the concept of 'social media'. The end goal? - a virtual medium for social exchanges. But in reality - it's just another entertainment first, connection second platform. Where in a day you can go without connecting with a single person/persona. But every time you open the app, you are sure to spiral down the consumption loop of reels, posts, online feuds, and whatnot for hours.

and that to an extreme, that you lose your sense of 'enough'. filling your hours with information that does no good.

so if we boil down everything we just discussed with 'the problem of information', here is the conclusion -

  1. quantity of information has nothing to do with value or quality

  2. the more information you consume, the more negative emotions you trigger within

  3. information wrappers are dangerous - they give you an illusion of entertainment, education, and engagement. but they are just the wrappers. in essence, you are just trading your time and attention for the wrapper around that particular information

  4. consuming information isn't action or productivity, to make it productive, it should lead to some kind of action

  5. access to information ( internet ) without an end goal/purpose is like shooting in the dark, you never know if you are hitting the mark