Why we need to be aware of our information intake during isolation

Jasmin Murray

Key Points

• Media intake has increased over time, and resulted in poor decision making skills
• Coronavirus has encouraged unhealthy digital diets by causing many workplaces to become digital orientated 
• Having an unhealthy digital diet can result in the inability to develop decision making skills 

With isolation restrictions in place individuals are having more down time and finding themselves filling their day on social media, and this increased intake of information could result in unhealthy habits. 

Although social media has been a prevalent communication tool for some time now the use of this technology has drastically increased in recent years, and boosted even further over the past few months due to isolation restrictions caused from Coronavirus. 

During this time it has become more difficult for individuals to create a work life balance while sticking to a healthy digital diet as many workplaces have progressed into a digital heavy environment. 

This funny but so true cartoon reminded me the need for Digital Dieting #FjordTrends http://t.co/Z1SnXY1ODU pic.twitter.com/gkIGlR4C6y

— cenk !k!z (@cenk_ikiz) January 20, 2015

How a healthy diet can compare to positive digital media intake

The concepts which are used when making decisions about what food we eat can be transferred into deciding what information we consume on social media. 

Tara Brabazon has revealed

“humans make over two hundred decisions in relation to food each day” and “we live off a see food diet, when we see it, we eat it.” 

Google’s use of a PageRank algorithm system ranks, organises and sorts websites resulting in a decrease in the decision making process by suggesting the most appropriate websites first therefore reducing the necessity for decision making skills. 

Ms Brabazon has revealed that

“all forms of obesity must undergo more than just a culture of blame to enforce changes and responsibility must be taken.”

By reducing the use of social media platforms to source information, which could contain inaccurate information and replacing it with higher quality information from reputable sources individuals will find they are increasing their knowledge without consuming unnecessary information.