The term “infodarkness” (information darkness) describes a state of information overload, poisoning by fakes, toxic content or meaningless “information noise”. This concept is a modern metaphor that transfers the concept of unhealthy fast food onto the sphere of information consumption.
Main causes of “infodarkness”
- Information fast food: Consuming clickbait headlines, short but empty videos or superficial news instead of high-quality, in-depth material.
- Echo chambers: Falling into the trap of social media algorithms, which show the user only the information that confirms their already existing views.
- Overload (FOMO): A constant desire to stay abreast of all world events, which overloads the brain with an excessive flow of data.
How infodarkness affects a person
- Reduced concentration: The brain gets used to the quick dopamine hit from short clips (for example, TikTok, Shorts), which makes it difficult to read long texts or perform monotonous work.
- Increased anxiety: A continuous stream of negative news keeps the nervous system in constant tension, which leads to burnout.
- Distortion of reality: Algorithms often push panic and scandal. A person begins to think that the world is much more dangerous and worse than it actually is.
How to protect yourself from information darkness
- Do an audit: Unsubscribe from all channels and bloggers that cause irritation, anger, or provide no useful information.
- Practice a “digital detox”: Set aside hours (or even whole days) when you don't check social media and news apps.
- Filter your sources: Read verified media, analytical articles and books instead of absorbing a random recommendation feed.
- Practice “information hygiene”: Set a strict time for reading news (for example, 20 minutes a day) so that you control the flow, rather than letting it control your day.
If you want to understand exactly how information clutter affects you, you can tell us:
- How much time a day do you spend reading news or browsing social media?
- What emotions do you most often feel after scrolling through your feed?
- What main sources of information currently predominate for you (Telegram, news sites, etc.)?
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