Living in the golden age of content is challenging to overcome. While it does mean that we receive information in multitudes at a fast rate, it also means that we are exposed to more and are easily sucked into this black void full of entertaining articles, videos, etc. Parents are having a more difficult time censoring the content that their children consume though companies have responded by making children’s versions of their apps. In this chaotic time of content, it is important to keep in mind that there is healthy and thought provoking content out there, free for the people to use.

I can say that I get distracted very easily when doing anything especially now with online schooling due to the pandemic. There is so much content on even the most obscure subjects that anyone could get lost on the internet watching hours of videos or reading hours of articles or books, but how do we hold ourselves accountable for the content that we consume?

The argument can be made that we choose what we want to take in, but the software behind the screen calculates your next recommendations based on what you have previously enjoyed, your interests, your gender, age, and much more data that has been collected on you that is specifically designed to get you to click on everything. We need to be aware of our own social media consumption and take breaks from the constant stream of content that is typically similar because that is what we are interested in.

In order to improve as beings, we need to change our view all the time. Listen to an audiobook, watch an informative video, read some news, or watch a Ted Talk. The possibilities are endless and it doesn’t just have to be informative content! Watch art, animations, smaller productions. Take over your content consumption and change it up. The first step to achieving this is being conscious and aware when online.

Although this feels as though everyone already knows this and that it’s a given, I find that, when reading people’s posts and seeing the content they enjoy, many people don’t realize the importance in being aware of your steps on the internet. This doesn’t only help when it comes to the content you watch, but is also a good way to maintain your own safety as well as the safety of others when online. Being aware of what you and others do is always a good precaution.

That being said, the aforementioned traits, again, are very important in choosing what you watch, read, or listen to. Another helpful tip is to join communities. By following certain people’s social media accounts or joining certain subreddits, you can always find people that can inspire you and find greater content that may not have been something you would’ve watched on your own. 

The internet is a great and terrible place at the same time. It can teach you so much but it can also expose you to too much which is why we consume not only in moderation but with awareness and the integrity to know when to say “when.” Keep in mind how your media consumption affects yourself as well as those around you.