Information Obesity and Keeping The Brain Fit

It's estimated that we create more information every two days than human civilisation produced from the beginning of our species until 2003. On YouTube alone, users upload over 500 hours of video every minute. On Instagram, people share over 100 million photos daily. There are more than 600 million blogs globally publishing content every second.

This deluge of information can lead to anxiety, a fear of missing out, or even what some experts call Information Obesity—the idea that we're consuming loads of information without retaining, learning, or using much of it.

Some people argue the comparison with body fat is inappropriate and misleading, but I like the expression because it makes it easier to comprehend that too much information can be harmful and that sometimes we consume excessive amounts of it without noticing it.

Many times, I feel my brain is obese (regarding the body, I'm sure :-)), and I have been trying to get it into informational shape.

One of the most important notions I came across recently is the need to be more intentional and disciplined about setting priorities for what information I want to consume and how to do it.

Defining this is tricky and personal. Not everything I read, listen to, or watch is for work or some practical purpose. I also do it for pleasure and distraction.

But as digital platforms become better at holding my attention for as long as possible, my old, laissez-faire approach to consuming information no longer works. Like many people, I have experienced significant amounts of time evaporating while scrolling social media - without anything to show for it or even remember afterwards.

Now, I use strategies and technologies to improve my chances of beating the algorithms.

One strategy is to reduce the number of sources I follow to a few trusted, high-quality ones. It helps me focus on what I find relevant and less on what makes me feel bloated and unsatisfied.

I actively choose when to read or listen to publications and podcasts, ensuring they occupy a privileged space on my devices and alerts. I follow routines for information consumption, including always listening to the same podcasts and reading the same outlets in the morning.

Having specific times for checking social media, news, and even for guilty pleasurable snacks—like random TikTok videos—helps control constant distractions.

Because this is not easy, and there are engineers much brighter than me working to keep me in their apps forever, I use technology to keep on track.

I limit my digital consumption and subscribe to fewer newsletters, which automatically move to an email folder and don't flash in my face whenever I open my inbox.

I've also been testing different systems, like AI RSS feeds and Gen AI filters, to tailor the information I receive, and content curation apps that let you save articles and videos to check them later.

I'm using AI to reduce the time I spend on tasks I consider of low value so that I can consume in-depth content or do deeper work.

Of course, one thing is to create these rules and systems. Another is to turn what I consume—particularly work-related material—into something valuable and useful.

This has never been easy, but our constant snacking of superficial information is making it harder at the moment we need it most. In a world where continued education is increasingly essential, finding, absorbing, and applying new and relevant knowledge is critical.

Carving larger chunks of time for in-depth work, reading longer-form content, or listening to a two-hour podcast that delves deep into a topic are some ways that have been helping me retain and apply information better.

The author Cal Newport, who advocates for deep work, develops this idea in his book Slow Productivity, which offers practical insights into fighting distraction and information overload.

None of this is easy, and I'm certainly far from perfect. However, learning to deal with information obesity will only become more critical, no matter your area of work or career stage.

PS—I hope you find this helpful and not just another info snack that makes you obese.