What are you feeding to your mind?

There are many things of which a wise man might wish to be ignorant.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

We live in the information era. Gone are the days when individuals received limited input from a few finite sources. Back then, information was optional and easy to resist if not needed.

Today, we are bombarded with information—and often addicted to it. Messages, forwarded posts, and social media feeds reach us from thousands of people, both known and unknown, from every corner of the world. While it’s great that we can connect globally, the irony is that social media often makes us less social in real life.

More and more people are falling prey to FOMO—the fear of missing out. This leads to constant online activity across websites and apps. Some people spend hours on 24/7 news channels, endlessly updated online news, Facebook and Instagram feeds, WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter debates, Discord servers, and more. We don’t want to miss something others already know. When access was limited to computers, it was easier to manage. But now, with everything in the palm of our hands, smartphones amplify our anxiety to stay updated around the clock.

We consume all kinds of information—world news, local news, politics, true crime, scandals, memes, inspirational quotes, pleasant and obscene content, travel ideas, food trends, shopping tips, and more. When someone is deeply engaged in a virtual network, they often don’t find time to talk to the person next to them—at home, at work, or while traveling.

Our minds get cluttered with issues involving strangers we will never meet. We become distracted by irrelevant matters, worry about unrelated things, and allow fear to seep in through what we read, watch, or hear. One might even feel lonely despite being surrounded by people because real connections become harder.

Do we need all this chaos in our minds, troubling us gradually? Think about it—do you eat every random food available on the streets, in supermarkets, or in restaurants? Of course not. You know what to feed your body and how to take care of it.

But when it comes to the mind, why do we forget to filter or say no? In this age of overflowing information, our mind is the consumer. Out of habit, we consume anything through our eyes and ears. So, what are you feeding your mind? Do you think before consuming information? Do you pause and decide before watching a web series, a talk show, or a news debate? Do you consider how it might impact your thoughts and feelings?

—Anitha KC

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