Member-only story
Don’t Read the News Today
It’s making you unhappy.
Our access to information today is mind-boggling. Whatever we want is at our fingertips. And we couldn’t consume it all if we tried.
Early in 2020, users were adding over 80 years’ worth of content to YouTube every day. That’s more content than anyone could consume in their entire lifetime!
We love information. But, have you ever stopped to ask, why?
Why do you keep up with the latest COVID-19 statistics? Why do you read every article on the U.S. election you can get your hands on? Why do you try to keep up to date on various domains of life— like science, local politics, movies and TV shows, or video games?
It’s important to keep up to date on what’s happening in the world! you might exclaim defensively.
But, is it?
Out of all the information you’ve consumed this year — and you’ve consumed A LOT — how much of it do you remember? How much of it was useful to you? How much of it went in one ear and immediately out the other?
Sadly, our memories don’t retain information for long. Of all the information we consume, we forget about 56% within an hour, 66% after one day, and 75% after six days.
If we’re forgetting most of the information we’ve consumed, why are we so motivated…
