Information Obesity: A Modern Epidemic
We've optimized for information abundance. Nobody asked if we should.
In 1971, Herbert Simon wrote something prescient:
"What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention."
Fifty years later, we've created the wealthiest information environment in human history. And we're paying the price.
The Buffet Problem
Imagine a buffet with unlimited food, free access, and no closing time. Nutritionists would predict an obesity epidemic. We'd overeat not because we're hungry, but because abundance triggers overconsumption.
This is the internet.
We've built the world's largest information buffet and invited everyone. Then we wondered why we feel overwhelmed, anxious, and mentally exhausted.
The Numbers
Consider what the average person consumes daily:
- 34 gigabytes of information (UCSD study)
- 100,000+ words read across all media
- 6+ hours of screen time
- 150+ smartphone pickups
Our brains evolved to process a small village worth of information—the same few dozen faces, predictable seasons, local news. Now we're processing the entire planet's output.
The Symptoms
Information obesity manifests differently than its physical counterpart, but the symptoms are just as real:
Mental Exhaustion
Every piece of information requires processing. Even content we scroll past consumes cognitive resources. By evening, we're depleted—not from work, but from the constant low-grade effort of filtering noise.
Decision Fatigue
More options means more decisions. More decisions means more fatigue. When everything is available, choosing becomes exhausting.
FOMO Anxiety
Abundance creates absence anxiety. When you could be consuming infinite content, any choice means missing something else. The result is a persistent feeling of falling behind.
Shallow Thinking
When information is cheap, we treat it cheaply. We skim instead of read. We react instead of reflect. The mental equivalent of fast food—quick, easy, unsatisfying.
The Diet Metaphor
Nutritionists don't tell us to stop eating. They teach us to eat better. Smaller portions of higher quality food, consumed mindfully at regular intervals.
The same principles apply to information:
Portion Control
You don't need every update the moment it happens. A morning briefing, midday check-in, and evening summary covers 99% of genuinely time-sensitive information.
Quality Selection
Not all information is equal. A thoughtful essay is more nutritious than a Twitter thread. A focused article beats a scattered feed.
Mindful Consumption
Eating while watching TV leads to overconsumption. So does reading while checking notifications. Single-tasking is the mindfulness of information consumption.
Regular Schedule
Grazing all day disrupts your digestive system. Information grazing disrupts your attention. Scheduled consumption restores natural rhythms.
Building a Healthier Diet
This is the philosophy behind yofo.
We're not asking you to disconnect entirely—that's like recommending starvation for weight loss. We're offering a sustainable information diet:
Morning — Start with clarity. The essential overnight updates, curated to your interests, delivered in a format designed for reflection rather than reaction.
Midday — Stay informed without spiraling. A brief, focused update that respects your afternoon energy.
Evening — Wind down intentionally. A summary that helps you process the day rather than adding to your mental load.
Between these moments: silence. Space for your own thoughts. Room to do deep work. Time to live.
The Quiet Revolution
We're not against information. We're against information abuse—both by systems that exploit our attention and by our own unexamined habits.
The goal isn't to know less. It's to know better. To trade quantity for quality, noise for signal, anxiety for calm.
This is what an information diet looks like. This is yofo.
Ready to try a healthier approach to information? Join the waitlist and start your diet today.