Just within the past week I decided that I was going to work at making fewer Google searches. One reason for this decision was concern about the site tracking done by Google on all of its users. But the biggest impetus for my decision came from the fact that I don't like spending too much time at the computer when there are scores of other things to do that I value more highly. I know that I can easily spend hours heading down a seemingly never ending worm hole searching for interesting bits of information on the internet. As noted in earlier blogs I also don't like many of the negative side effects of too much time on the internet (Impact of the internet on our brain).
I was delighted to read "Information Diet: We are what we eat" in this morning's paper from Clay Johnson, that was originally posted in the Los Angeles Times. He notes that much media content is designed to meet our tendency to be drawn to shrill opinions and celebrity hype. Even for someone who watches very little television I have to confess to knowing about a faux celebrity, Kim Kardashian, and a short sham marriage she had with a professional basketball player. This is the kind of sensational information that the media feeds upon, yet is entirely worthless.
Much like the media, food companies have capitalized on our natural tendencies to things that are not all together wholesome. They've successfully marketed products that help us to fulfill our natural cravings for fatty, sugary and salty foods. This has resulted in poor diets and the corresponding health problems of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc.
So, I invite you to join me in starting an information diet. Let's not feed the beast of sensationalism that is growing rapidly, thanks to our viewing habits. Instead, let's focus on information which has depth and nourishes our souls and minds.
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