Infobesity

"Infobesity," also known as "information overload," refers to the overwhelming state caused by the vast amount of information we encounter daily, particularly through digital sources like social media, websites, and emails. This excess of information can make it challenging to focus, process data effectively, and make decisions. The term highlights how, similar to physical obesity from consuming too much food, our minds can become overburdened with too much information, leading to stress and decreased productivity. 

I heard the word ‘Infobesity’ a few weeks ago when I was watching a docuseries and it made me laugh out loud because it just sounded so funny when you actually said it out loud.  But in the next moment, it kind of made me a little sad as this was a very accurate definition of our current everyday lives and how information is being fired at our senses at super sonic speeds! 

After being introduced to this new-fangled word, I also saw a video where a younger person was asking someone my age what we did prior to the internet when we couldn’t just look up the answer to anything we wanted?!?!  The answer was, ‘we just went on with life… (shocked gasp) … without knowing!’   

Although I use Google just as much, if not more, than the average person to find out everything from a business’s hours of operation to technical information about something I didn’t know before… this got me thinking – why do we have such an information obsession about having to know the answer to everything?   

There used to be some magic and mystery about ‘not knowing’ and honestly, there was something refreshing about that. It left space for curiosity, imagination, and the simple act of wondering. Back then, if we didn’t know the name of a song playing on the radio or the history behind a random building we passed, we’d either try to guess, make up stories, or let the mystery linger for a while. It was a kind of openness to the unknown, a way to just be present without always seeking answers. 

But today, with the internet at our fingertips, we’re conditioned to think that not knowing is a problem that needs to be solved immediately. Got a question? A quick search or a "Hey Google" has the answer. It’s convenient, sure, but it has a cost: the space for daydreaming and wondering is slowly eroded. It’s like we’re constantly plugged into a never-ending data stream, and while that’s great for productivity, it can become exhausting. 

Infobesity speaks to that exhaustion. It’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet for the brain—except instead of food, its news updates, social media posts, memes, facts, and opinions. And just like with any buffet, it’s hard to know when to stop. We stuff ourselves with information because we can, even when it doesn’t serve us. And soon, we’re left feeling bloated and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content we've consumed, much of which we don’t even have time to truly process. 

So, what if we embraced a little more of that pre-internet mindset? What if we allowed ourselves to not know all the answers, to leave some questions hanging? What if we took a step back from the constant stream of information and focused on being more mindful of what we’re consuming? It’s not about rejecting technology or the convenience it brings, but about finding balance… about learning to savor the knowledge that truly matters and letting the rest go. 

Maybe the antidote to infobesity isn’t in the data we find but in rediscovering the joy of mystery, the peace of unanswered questions, and the satisfaction of not needing to know it all. Because sometimes, a little bit of wonder and a little less information might just be what we need. ❤️

Much Love