information fatigue first aid ⛑️
the internet and all the information it pushes at you can feel like a firehose pointed directly at your face. some days, i am hit by information fatigue, and it leaves me feeling sore and bruised. here are seven ways i try to dodge the firehose in an attempt not to drown:
- scheduled intake. i pick two windows a day to check feeds and news. outside those windows, the tab stays closed. the world will still be in a catastrophic state later, don't worry.
- one source per topic. i do not need four newsletters about the same thing. pick your favourite, ghost the rest, don't feel bad.
- sometimes curate for beauty, not volume. it is completely fine to follow accounts, feeds, and sites just because they make something pretty, simple, or quiet. you don't have to justify it. a short list of things you genuinely love beats a bloated feed of things you feel strangely obligated to consume.
- learn to spot the slop there is a lot of content out there right now that was made to fill space, it doesn't say anything. ai-generated articles, recycled takes, engagement-bait listicles, slop videos and adverts. allow yourself to notice that empty feeling slop gives you and act on it. the back button is right there, get out and don't return! (a tip in a tip: don't support platforms that encourage slop generation, or find a way to block it and them).
- use a read-later queue as a filter. i save it, then check back in 48 hours. if it still feels interesting, i read it. i find most things quietly fail this test, they probably weren't for me anyway. after the 48 hours, if they are still unread i delete them to get them off my radar.
- go analogue for a few hours. i walk, cook, draw, write, read, print, or bind something. my brain was not designed to scroll, even if it is addicted to it. so, i try to give it a break from its own bad habits.
- unsubscribe aggressively and without guilt. if i haven't opened it in a month, it's not doing anything for me it's just ambient dread in my inbox. i let it go.
you don't have to know everything, don't let the fomo get to you. when you find the things that matter to you, follow them and avoid anything that feels excessive or anxiety-inducing.
the firehose will always be there. you don't have to stand in front of and drink from it.
these are my seven bandages, but your first-aid kit may vary.