With the spread of the Internet’s reach, along with the infestation of social media and political entertainment masquerading as news, there is no limit to how wide our world, or at least our view of the world, has become. The rapidity of this expansion begs the question whether we should be concerned or think twice before jumping in? This consumerism of information has seemingly paralleled the other areas of our lives where consumerism has crept it, and the mighty political gods from above have advised us on its greatness. In one of the most important books ever written, Small is Beautiful, E. F. Schumacher, reminds us that economic growth without thought could be disastrous. While he focuses on economic development, the warning to avoid unthought-out growth and acknowledge the farce that massive over-consumption leads to healthy economic growth, parallels this potential false view that over-consumption of information, regardless of how brainless, leads to personal growth and a healthy brain and mentality.
It reminds me of all the low-fat pushers of my childhood (think SnackWells) that lead to “healthy” growth of body fat, suburban sprawl and consumerism that led to “healthy” growth (i.e. destruction) of communities and the local economy. I have seen reasonable people build 7,000 square feet homes comprised mostly of Marshall’s tell me they are supporting the economy (Schumacher would ask us first to consider what this is doing to our communities).
OK, I may be getting off topic, and yes, I brought up SnackWells, but the point is, much like a child in a candy shop, we are surrounded by junk food and junk information. It is up to us to regulate the entrance of this info, and it is certainly up to us to process the correct info and trash the rest. Excuses like watching the news to “stay up to date” sounds very much like those of us that ate SnackWells because they were good for us, while we knew in the back of our minds that was utterly impossible. This moral licensing and excessive consumption of something we pretend is good for us has even earned the name the SnackWell Effect.. Like surrounding oneself with junk food, having the willpower to regulate how much we physically and mentally consume is a daunting task, particularly when it is shoved down our throat as the norm (ahem, social media). And if you don’t believe me, check out all the big time academic researchers gossiping and fighting like grade schoolers on Twitter.
It reminds me of Cardinal d’Amboise, when speaking of the infamously cunning Pope Alexander at the turn of the 15th century, he notes that “his ears are long but his belief is short.” In other words, he takes in much information, but how much influences him is another story. The overload of information, when channeled appropriately, can be a positive when one is able to avoid the possible, and likely, overload. When I was spending all-nighters at MIT to finish problem sets, the comment “it’s like drinking from a fire hydrant” was heard frequently. Now, it seems like we are all drinking from fire hydrants all the time.
However, I was purposefully drinking from that fire hydrant. I signed up for it—that fire hydrant was going to help with my career or get me into medical school. Nowadays that fire hydrant is often thrust upon us, and instead of learning thermodynamics, biology, or another subject to enrich our future, it is scut masquerading as news or important information, or just outright gossip. We are often drinking from the fire hydrant, but all that is is spewing is Pepsi, Coke, or soy milk that rots our teeth on the way in, our brain when it enters, and those around us on the way out.
When I read books, I am offered an abundance of stimulating ideas. These books and ideas lead to my articles, conversations I have at the Exercise Oncology Center with the participants, and discussions with my family during dinner or our nightly walks. They are the gifts that keep on giving. Yet, I find myself pulled into the abyss of reading the news. I notice the news creep because my anxiety level rises and my feelings of accomplishment drop as I waste more of my free time, read less interesting books, and produce less articles, neglecting writing, which is my form of meditation. This seductress is all around us, and to think of it as “broadening our minds” is putting a Snackwellsesque positive spin on an inherent evil and destructive force that surrounds us all. Many of your friends and families will tell you, as some people tell me, that is is normal to be encased in the junk food for your brain, just like it is normal to follow a nutrient-sparse and junk food diet. I have tried to argue with these individuals in the past, but they scarcely listen or can hear me as they are preoccupied on Tic Toc, texting, and checking social media. Machiavelli wrote about these individuals some 525 years ago:
Little asses, as they move around,
are heard making a noise together
so that whoever speaks is scarcely heard…
My push this upcoming fall is to avoid the noise and consumption of junk information by not drinking out of the social media and news fire hydrate and focus on living an intentional lifestyle. I challenge you to do the same.
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