Information Dieting
The Concept
A quick search indicates that the term "information diet" seems to have been coined by author Clay Johnson. The idea is that we're exposed to a massive amount of information in modern society. This can be a boon but there's also such a thing as too much. We should therefore be critical about what we consume.
Changing Dynamics
The internet has changed over the years. When you went online in the past you generally started by typing in a search term. (I think mailing lists predated that, but they were small-scale curated content. The modern internet is on a wholly different scale.)
Today's internet is full of sites that will propose a flood of content, often tailored to the individual user's tastes. Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, and many more. Search terms are no longer necessary to engage with content - in some cases even before you're following any other users on the platform.
Many sites have replaced chronological sorting in favor of sorting based on popularity or some sort of algorithm - in some cases necessary but I loathe when it's done to my feed and I can't opt out. Lately Youtube has made it's searches increasingly useless by including all sorts of suggested content that often doesn't even relate to the search term. It's likely a way to try to suck people into a rabbit hole by showing them content relating to something they've watched before (see HBR article linked at the bottom).
It's odd to think about the fact that endless scrolling on websites generally wasn't a thing at one point in time. A webpage had a start and an end. Not the bottomless voids that many sites have become today. Apparently, this is due to the endless scroll being easier on mobile users. However, it may also be more addictive than a paginated version of the content (see Psychology Today article linked at the bottom).
Reclaiming Attention
I didn't think of myself as a person who spends a lot of time on social media. My earlier self did, but I've long since deleted my accounts. One remains, however, and that is Youtube. I regularly fall into Youtube rabbit holes. There are lots of interesting things to learn, certainly, but in most instances I'll eventually feel drained and worse than when I started. At that point I'm no longer using Youtube. Youtube is using me.
Step one to rectifying this is to recognize the problem. Did that some time ago. Check.
Step two is to realize when I'm about to step into the trap. I don't want opening Youtube to be an automatic response to a thought or emotion I'm having. I'm training myself to consider different alternatives like journaling, mindful breathing, or engaging with content I already have saved on my device.
Step three is to use Youtube in ways that lessen the addictiveness when I do decide to use it. There are extensions that simplify Youtube and remove many of the addictive features, but I find it hard to know which extensions can be trusted. This leaves me relying on my self-control. One strategy that's been working well for me of late is to set a video limit for myself. After watching one video I have to seriously consider my next step. Not simply click another video about a similar topic. In fact, setting a video limit is one of the suggested strategies proposed in the HBR article as well.
Psychology Today - Infinite Scroll: The Web's Slot Machine
Harvard Business Review - The Psychology of Your Scrolling Addiction