Consuming Actively vs Passively

Consuming less can lead to more

Every minute of every day we have a choice – to allow the deluge of information to pour into our eyes and ears or decide when or if we will consume it. This information can come from social media, messages and emails at work, or even communications from family and friends. There is no limit to the amount of information that is being provided to us, but there is a limit to which we can and should consume it. There is a mindset shift that can combat this. It is the concept of consuming actively or passively.

I have touched on this topic in the context of video consumption in the past. This edition is a wider perspective on the concept.

There has been no time in history that comes close to the amount of available information today. Most of it barely has a cost – though, nothing is free. For thousands of years, stories have been written or passed along via spoken word, news and academic writings have been written in books and newspapers, and multimedia visuals have been produced for art and documentation purposes.

The thing that has changed is access. Since the dawn of the internet, information has become more portable and, in turn, more accessible. Just 20 years ago, you had to intentionally sit at your computer and log on to the internet to access information; now there is a screen on everything, connected to the internet, in perpetuity.

Most of us recognize this shift. If you've been alive for more than 25 years, you've felt the weight of it. Everything became easier. There is no longer a need to obtain or find information; it's just there. While the intention, the concept, is wonderful, the ramifications are not.

This goes beyond what most people think of when they read "information." I don't just mean news, videos, and social media. I mean access to you for others as well. Family, friends, and coworkers used to have to try to reach you. Now they expect a direct connection to you.

Add Friction

Rather than reading that article, watching that video, or replying to that text now – wait. Time is the easiest friction you can add. By simply waiting, you get to decide if it still matters and when to be engaged with it.

I touched upon this a bit in the last edition: Control Your Communications So They Don’t Control You

Texting passively, while in a meeting or in the middle of creating that next project plan, will not lead to a meaningful conversation for either party. Dedicate time to it when you can fully engage with the person. This goes beyond texting. I recommend the same approach for any form of communication. To truly be present, you need to dedicate space for it.

When it comes to content, you can use a reminders app, note, or a read-it-later tool. Simply grab the link to the content and send it to your container of choice. When you have the time to catch up, skim the topics. Are they still relevant or interesting to you? If not, trash them. If they are, dig in. You'll be surprised how much of it is not valuable to you when you make the time.

Consume Contextually

We have so many different devices at our disposal, but we use all of them interchangeably. Rather than using your phone, tablet, laptop, and TV to consume the same type of content, use each contextually.

Most of your inputs will come from apps and communication. And most of that will come from your phone. So, I recommend using your phone as the collector of these various sources of information. Then dedicate purposes for your other devices to consume them.

If you have a tablet, maybe dedicate that for articles and short-form videos. If you pair that with a read-it-later tool, notes, or reminders – you can simply open that and dig in.

For longer-form video, don't hunch over your phone on the subway. Wait until you are home, in your comfy house clothes, on your couch. Watch it in its intended format, with good sound and lighting.

While it is wonderful to live during a time when information is accessible to most, we should also understand that it's better to access it intentionally. We don't have to be home to get that important call or get the newspaper to read today's headlines, but the concept of actively interacting with information allows us to control our inputs. It will allow us to think deeper, decide if that is something we actually want to consume, and foster deeper relationships. Consuming actively, even if less, can lead to more.