Reducing the Input

version

Well-known member
I started doing this a few days ago: ditched Reddit, ditched the news, started speaking to people less and less, stopped reading reviews or any sort of commentary on anything and only paid attention to whatever I was actually doing and what was happening in my immediate environment. It's much nicer tbh. I now wonder what I ever saw in looking up what people are saying about something.
 

version

Well-known member
I've found some things only retain their value by way of momentum. You pry yourself away from the news cycle or Twitter or whatever for a few days and when you take another look at it, free from being swept along with each development, it loses its power. The spell's broken.
 

constant escape

winter withered, warm
Do you think the reduced state is worth maintaining in its own right, or do you see its value more as an occasional detox/refresh?

Good points, by the way. Especially about momentum.
 

luka

Well-known member
At the start of lockdown I wasn't coming here, I had my phone switched off, and I unplugged the wi-fi. It was brilliant. I should do it again really.
 

luka

Well-known member
Lurking is dangerous cos you'll be tempted back in sooner or later. An opportunity will arise to demonstrate how clever you are and that's that. Better to unplug the wifi entirely. Go off grid. Disappear.
 

version

Well-known member
Do you think the reduced state is worth maintaining in its own right, or do you see its value more as an occasional detox/refresh?

I'd say the latter, but it probably depends on the person. There's a balance to be struck between not swamping yourself with information and not becoming entirely self-absorbed and ignorant.
 

version

Well-known member
I definitely don't need to read as many news items and opinions as I have done in the past though. You could rip all the comment and review sections out from under basically every site and it'd probably be a positive move. The signal to noise ratio's ridiculous.
 
Sorry I didn’t reply to your question about this on another thread version. I’ve done this lately too, for the first time ever. I still went and looked for things I wanted to know but I didn’t check the news and twitter habitually. On return it was overwhelming, hysterical. And Obviously it’s an intense time! but I think wee breaks are good and I’ll probably try and consciously manage my intake more
 

constant escape

winter withered, warm
In a way, the balance you mentioned could be exercised in the interest of maintaining a more optimal signal to noise ratio. By extricating yourself from the momentum/currents, you may grant yourself a better position to chart out a smoother current-route to avoid the rapids, the higher noise concentrations.
 

version

Well-known member
There's a balance to be struck between not swamping yourself with information and not becoming entirely self-absorbed and ignorant.

One danger with the above is setting up a false dichotomy where to not be "entirely self-absorbed and ignorant" you must follow what's going on online. I don't necessarily think that's the case as you can probably learn more about the world from picking up a bunch of books than being glued to feeds and breaking news and actually doing things in your local area does more good for others than just "being aware" of things you can't really influence.
 

sufi

lala
why would you want all this in your pocket a stinky stream of junk data and half processed information trailing around behind you like a nasty green fart cloud
 

constant escape

winter withered, warm
Granted, there may not be a tangible thing sending the signal that is getting diluted by noise, but I think the signal can still be received, no?

I suppose it does depend on what you're trying to decode/understand, and sifting through information that proves useful in constructing an understanding. In that case, there might not be an ultimate optimum, but I think it is safer to say that there are more optimal ratios to be achieved.
 

sufi

lala
well maybe get the internet on your phone, then delete it, for that feeling of all over super fresh freeness?
 

version

Well-known member
One thing I'm currently convinced of is that watching the news lulls people into a sense of having done something without really doing anything. That being "informed" - if that's even a possibility these days - has a tangible effect in its own right.
 

luka

Well-known member
I think there is value in being 'informed' of the conditions which create people's lived realities. That includes The Feed. Doesn't mean you have to always be plugged into it though
 
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