The scroll is not the truth
How to be a thoughtful content consumer
It's easy to scroll mindlessly through social media, taking in whatever content is put in front of us. However, this type of passive consumption can be harmful to our health and lead to a skewed view of the world. Our brains are constantly growing and adapting to what we see and hear. What's happening when we scroll is we are getting dopamine hit after dopamine hit. Dopamine is triggered when we think of new possibility or reward coming our way. Dopamine is useful and necessary, but in balance. We need to be diligent, proactive, and thoughtful about what we feed our brain.
Take a moment to answer these questions. After scrolling through the internet, how do you feel about the world? Does it help you to see abundance, opportunity, and possibility? If not, then it's time to make a change! What you consume will consume you too. I notice a difference in myself when I start the day off listening to news, versus when I pick up a book for 10 minutes, or listen to an informative podcast. I used to start every day off with a dose of National News. And what I realized is that not much changes day to day. I was led to believe that it did, because I kept getting notifications of "Breaking News." If I am honest though, watching the news does not make me feel engaged or informed, it makes me feel powerless and hopeless to do anything. Much of what I see is outside of my control. And it doesn't have to be that way. There are other options for engaging with the very important topics that come up in the news.
Now I look for depth rather than breadth. I can pick up a book that draws from research across a topic. Or I can pick up an article in a magazine that pulls from interviews, historical data, and research. Look for the experts that have dedicated significant time to a topic. They will point you towards additional experts on the topic. When we start to look for depth, we can find hope. We realize that there are people working hard on the issues we care about, and we can too! When you read or listen to something that is beautifully and thoughtfully put together - it feels good! It's not just a hit of dopamine, but rather it's an investment in yourself, your community, and the world.