Information Overload Isn’t New. But You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck In It.

The other day, I came across a quote that stopped me in my tracks:

“Nine-tenths of the news, as printed in the papers, is pseudo-news, manufactured events. Some days ten-tenths. The ritual morning trance, in which one scans columns of newsprint, creates a peculiar form of generalised pseudo-attention to a pseudo-reality. This experience is taken seriously. It is one’s daily immersion in ‘reality.’ One’s orientation to the rest of the world. One’s way of reassuring himself that he has not fallen behind. That he is still there. That he still counts!

My own experience has been that renunciation of this self-hypnosis, of this participation in the unquiet universal trance, is no sacrifice of reality at all. To ‘fall behind’ in this sense is to get out of the big cloud of dust that everybody is kicking up, to breathe and to see a little more clearly.”

– Thomas Merton, 1968

Sound familiar? It perfectly captures the feelings of overwhelm and information overload that seem to define life in the digital age. Except for one thing: it was written over 50 years ago.

Then, as I reflected, I realized something else: this isn’t even a 20th-century problem. It goes back much further. Consider this quote from 1854:

“Hardly a man takes a half hour’s nap after dinner, but when he wakes he holds up his head and asks, ‘What’s the news?’ as if the rest of mankind had stood his sentinels… After a night’s sleep the news is as indispensable as the breakfast. ‘Pray tell me anything new that has happened to a man anywhere on this globe,’ – and he reads it over his coffee and rolls, that a man has had his eyes gouged out this morning on the Wichita River; never dreaming the while that he lives in the dark unfathomed mammoth cave of this world, and has but the rudiment of an eye himself.”

– Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854

Apparently, the impulse to immerse ourselves in the latest updates is nothing new. What has changed is the sheer speed and volume of information available. Digital tools have taken our deep-seated instinct to stay “in the know” and supercharged it. Today, we can spend our mornings, evenings, and every moment in between asking for updates on “anything new that has happened to a man anywhere on this globe.”

But here’s the problem: as Thomas Merton put it, much of it is no more than “a big cloud of dust.” It’s insubstantial, inconsequential, and can leave us stuck in the swirl of the moment, unable to see with clarity or perspective.

What Happens When We Dare to Fall Behind?

If we’re honest, the constant swirl of information isn’t always helping us live better lives. It can affect our relationships, sap our focus, and cloud our clarity.

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: What will help me live in a way that honors what matters most?

If keeping up with the latest news, trends, and updates is keeping you behind in your ability to live a deliberate, meaningful life, maybe it’s time to consider stepping out of the dust cloud.

Merton’s words offer a compelling alternative:

“To get out of the big cloud of dust that everybody is kicking up, to breathe and to see a little more clearly.”

Doesn’t that sound refreshing?

Taking Control of the Swirl

The good news is this: just because information overload is a centuries-old problem doesn’t mean we’re powerless to address it. Creating a life that honors what matters most is entirely within your control.

• You get to decide when you let information in.

• You get to choose how often you engage with it.

• You get to determine why and to what end you consume it.

Rather than allowing the constant flow of information to shape your life, you can use it intentionally to serve the life you want to create.

Step Out of the Cloud

The impulse to stay informed isn’t going anywhere. But if the constant barrage of updates is leaving you distracted, disconnected, or overwhelmed, maybe it’s time to step back. Because the clarity, perspective, and focus you’ll find outside the “big cloud of dust” might just be what you need to breathe and see a little more clearly.