The Information Trap: Why Knowing More Makes Us Do Less
Let me ask you: How many times have you opened your phone to “learn just one thing,” only to find yourself, hours later, spiralling down a rabbit hole of videos, articles, podcasts, and endless scrolling? You start with a simple question—maybe a quick video on how to fix your posture. That leads to another video, then an article, then a podcast, then maybe you’re chatting with an AI assistant (hello, Perplexity and ChatGPT!). Before you know it, four or five hours have disappeared. You stand up, stretch, and think, “Well, at least I learned something.” But the next morning, half of it is gone from your memory, and what’s left just makes you feel like you have to do everything, all at once.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. When we try to consume everything, our brains get overwhelmed. Our minds are like filing cabinets with limited space. When we stuff them with every bit of news, advice, or productivity hack, we crowd out the things that actually matter—and end up feeling stressed, anxious, and unable to focus.
I’ve been there myself, but an experience back in 2014 changed a lot for me. I volunteered as a teacher in a tiny village in Ladakh, India. There was no internet, barely any electricity. For months, I didn’t read the news or check social media. At first, it felt strange. But slowly, the constant chatter in my head faded. I could sit and look at the mountains for hours, without doing anything. I wasn’t worrying about global crises, celebrity gossip, or the latest “must-have” clothes. I was calm. And you know what? Anything truly important—like a change in the weather or news from home—still reached me, through friends or family.
When I came back to the city, I made a choice: no more online news. Now, I just skim the local paper for essentials—power cuts, traffic jams, or the occasional political circus. No more useless anxiety. No more overthinking. And my brain actually remembers what I read.
Here’s the truth: In today’s hyper-connected world, whatever you really need to know will find its way to you. You don’t have to chase every headline, every trend, every “life-changing” tip. In fact, research shows that the more you try to keep up with everything, the less you actually retain, and the more overwhelmed you feel.
So here’s my invitation: Be selective. Let your brain’s “natural filter” do its job. Fill your mental cabinet with what truly matters to you, and let the rest go. You’ll remember more, stress less, and have more time for what really counts.
All that information you don’t know? Trust me—you probably didn’t need it anyway.
So, How Do You Avoid the Information Black Hole?
Next time you see a link, pause for a second. Ask yourself: “Do I really need this right now?” If the answer is yes, don’t dive in immediately. Instead, save it—maybe by sending it to yourself on WhatsApp or bookmarking it. If you find yourself coming back to it naturally later, that’s a good sign it’s actually important.
When you’re learning something new—say, you’re deep-diving into a topic with podcasts or videos—choose longer, more in-depth content over endless short clips. Take notes as you go. This helps your brain actually hold onto what matters, instead of letting it all slip through the cracks.
Set a time limit for your research—an hour or two, tops. Anything more, and you’re probably just wandering down a rabbit hole. Think about it: even in school, classes rarely lasted more than 60 to 90 minutes. There’s a reason for that—your brain needs breaks to process and retain information.
And remember: The internet isn’t going anywhere. That article, that video, that thread—it’ll still be there tomorrow. You can always come back when you really need it.
At the end of the day, the real value isn’t in knowing everything. It’s in using what you know. So go slow, be selective, and let your brain breathe. You’ll get more done—and actually remember what you learn.