There’s so much information out there. It’s a challenge that each of us grapples with. The Internet is simply massive in size, and continually growing. On just about every conceivable topic, one can locate a limitless amount of content, giving the World Wide Web a never-ending feel.
In one sense, this is a wonderful thing, because each of us can learn about, and go deep on, just about every topic out there. You can pick up your phone, open the Google app, and learn about everything ranging from the president’s constitutional powers regarding immigration, to the latest research around how practice makes perfect, or what makes Russell Westbrook tick. We enjoy access to an incredible array of knowledge, found on platforms ranging from Wikipedia to Coursera to the wonderful Farnam Street blog. As Barry Ritholtz recently noted (when discussing the power of Twitter): “Having the ability to follow many of the world’s experts in subjects of interest, is an enviable luxury unimaginable a mere decade ago.”
At the same time, it is all too common to burn countless hours aimlessly roaming the Web (in fact, thanks to the rise of smartphones, the average American spends more time online than ever). This has led to an epidemic of distraction, where we constantly check our cellphones (or if we are at work, attend to email and, yes, browse the Internet for pleasure).
These behaviors at a core level, appear to be rewiring our brains, and not in a positive manner. In his 2011 Pulitzer-finalist book The Shallows, Nicholas Carr explored how neuroplasticity (that is, the ability of our brain to reorganize itself, in response to new experiences or conditions) works (rather negatively), in the context of extensive Internet usage. Specifically, Carr considers how our long-term memory, which is where we store all that we’ve learned over the years, ends up being overwhelmed by the torrent of information we find online, while our working memory (the “bridge” between short term and long term memory), is also weakened. Ultimately, The Shallows is a rather troubling look at how the Internet is weakening our ability to effectively process and retain information, and what the long-term implications of this change are.
Setting aside the required use of email and Internet for professional purposes (Cal Newport does a great job of exploring these questions in Deep Work), let’s consider two competing priorities. On the one hand, there’s knowledge (defined broadly) that we wish to acquire. Yet, we understand what constantly perusing the Internet can do to our brains, and in particular our focus, and productive capabilities. What’s the best way forward?
Almost three years ago, I signed up for two free email lists: Jason Hirschhorn's Media REDEF semi-daily newsletter, and Maria Popova’s Brain Pickings weekly digest. I found both of these updates to be incredibly relevant and engaging, offering a range of fascinating content.
Perhaps just as importantly, however, both lists allowed me to better discover and organize desired information. I formed a sense of certainty, that I would receive important reads from these two sources, and so I prioritized reading each of them consistently. What’s more, I knew I could look in a very specific place, for that fascinating article on 1980’s NYC hip hop, which I wanted to share on Facebook, or the insightful piece on neural networks, which I really ought to email to a few friends.
The thing is, outside of these two sources, I didn’t really make use of website/publication specific email lists, and my online behavior didn’t really change. I knew, for example, that I enjoyed a range of pieces in The Atlantic, or science website PhysOrg, and of course, Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight (and at least a dozen other Web domains).
However, rather than sign up for daily or weekly updates, I formed an unintentional habit of checking these pages, often as much as several times per day, trying to keep track of what new content might appear. When I was striving to complete concentrated work (at home or the office), I would make it a point to avoid random Internet usage, but other times, when I was just responding to emails, or heading to lunch, or maybe towards the end of the day, I’d spend time distractedly surfing the web, stumbling onto interesting articles, and skimming them superficially.
In late 2016, after reading Deep Work, I realized there had to be a better way, to ramp up my productivity, and wring all I could out of each day, while still keeping up to date on valuable information. At this point, in addition to Hirschhorn's and Popova’s newsletters, I had subscribed to maybe 5-6 other email newsletter lists.
I decided to add more of the publications which I interacted with regularly, to these email blasts. By doing so, I felt I would have less reason to browse online, which would allow me to build greater focus, and organize more of the information that I wanted to engage with, in one particular location. To date, I have added between 25-30 newsletter subscriptions, which I receive on a daily or weekly basis.
What’s more, I also consolidated each of these emails, into one single compilation, which I’d receive around 8:30 PM. The thinking was, I would be able to spend less time, throughout the day, opening and browsing through my inbox. When I did finally sit down to review all that I had received, I could do so in an organized fashion. In order to facilitate this process, I used the Unroll app.
Lastly, I was fully aware that I might not have enough time, to read everything that I wanted to, when I went through my daily Unroll email, In fact, with both the Brain Pickings and Media Redef lists, I often used to open and skim articles, thinking “That’s interesting, I’ll read it later.” Unfortunately, “later” never seemed to arrive, and ultimately ended up being forgotten.
For this reason, I decided to start using Instapaper. Instapaper allows you to save articles, to be read later, from your web browser, Android, iPhone, iPad or Kindle. Basically, I could open emails from Unroll, click on those articles which seemed interesting, and really dig into them, when I had some more focused time.
Also, since I started setting specific times (usually on weekends, and an occasional weekday), to work through these pieces, I was able to really concentrate and absorb what I was consuming. To strengthen this process, I also started taking brief notes (around 1-5 sentences) to summarize the important takeaways of what I had read.
What have been the results of these efforts so far? Perhaps the most noticeable change, is that I spend far less time, aimlessly browsing the Internet. I’ve largely replaced that with a more focused, closed-end effort at taking in and making sense of information. This is gradually (change doesn’t come quickly) helping me to become less distracted, and more productive, in other areas of my life.
Admittedly this isn’t always easy, particularly on weekends, when my schedule is somewhat less structured, and I find myself spending a bit more time randomly surfing the Web. I’m still figuring out how to change that behavior. I suspect, just as with the weekdays, I’ll need to set specific times, for consumption of information online.
I have also become considerably more selective, in terms of what I read. If you spoke to me back in February 2016, I could have probably recited back to you, in gory detail, whatever was splashed across Page 6 of the New York Post, or the latest episode in the saga of the New York Knicks, or each Tweet of Donald Trump’s, in gory detail. Today, that isn’t the case.
One challenge I have faced, however, is that there are far more worthwhile pieces I’d like to work through, than there are hours in a day. On a typical weekday, I might save upwards of 15 articles for reading later, at least some of which are on the longer end (upwards of 8 minutes). As a result, I find it hard to really complete all that I’d like to, even when taking some extra Instapaper time on weekends. Still, thanks to the note taking, whatever reading I do get through, I find myself retaining much better. Maybe less really is more?
Ultimately, distraction and a lack of focus, isn’t mandatory. There isn’t a single one of us who was born maniacally racing through the Internet, unable to nail down a center of focus. We can choose to do better, in terms of how we seek out, digest, and ultimately make use of information, and how it affects our brains. The first two months of this year have really taught me that. I can’t wait to see what comes next.
