AS a journalist, I’m no stranger to information overload. My job requires me to stay up to date on current events, read multiple news sources, and synthesise a wide range of perspectives on any given issue. But even for someone in the business of consuming news, the deluge of information we’re exposed to on a daily basis can become overwhelming.

This phenomenon of feeling overwhelmed by the constant stream of data, opinions, and updates we’re bombarded with is known as “information fatigue”. The concept has existed for centuries, though it has taken on new relevance in our hyperconnected digital age.

One of the earliest discussions of information overload came from Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger around 2000 years ago. He complained that people were wasting their time accumulating too many books and that the abundance of information was distracting.

Fast forward to the printing press revolution of the 15th century. The widespread availability of printed materials like pamphlets and manuscripts led to complaints from scholars that the quality of texts was diminishing as printers rushed to publish. Too much information was crowding the market.

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Now in the internet era, we’ve taken information overload to unprecedented new heights. It’s estimated that more data has been produced in the past few years than in all of previous human history. And social media platforms have supercharged our ability to consume, share, and react to a constant stream of updates in real time.

The wealth of information that surrounds us plays a pivotal role in helping us navigate our complex world, find our place within it, and make well-informed decisions. However, the sheer volume of information and the exhaustion that it can bring about pose significant questions.

Could this overload be a potential threat not only to the mental wellbeing of citizens, but also to citizens’ engagement with the big issues of our times, our ability to make informed decisions and form enlightened opinions? Too much information can mean that it is impossible to metabolise it, and ultimately increasingly difficult to understand and decide.

For a significant majority of citizens, staying informed through the media remains a crucial practice. But the methods employed to stay informed have undergone remarkable change, as the news landscape has undergone a profound transformation over the past couple of decades.

New information technologies have seamlessly woven themselves into our daily lives. The vast majority of us have smartphones, easy access to the internet and social media accounts, allowing us to access, share and interact with content literally at all times, in a 24-hour news cycle.

The dizzying pace of these transformations has exacerbated the saturation of information we encounter daily, thereby contributing to the exhaustion we experience, and the feeling that we are wandering in a thick fog.

The effects of this information saturation are beginning to show. Recent surveys found that more than half of French citizens report regularly feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information they have to process on a daily basis.

In today’s world, where information is scattered across various sources and used in so many ways, it’s no surprise that staying informed requires some effort.

This situation can lead to a constant search for alternative sources, as we try to make sense of the ever-evolving landscape. But it can also make us feel like we’re losing track of everything, and there’s a risk of simply giving up on trying to stay informed.

As a journalist, I’ve certainly experienced my fair share of this fatigue, especially these past five years covering Scotland and the UK during the chaotic Brexit era – I think we can all agree that politics on this side of a Channel is quite a rollercoaster, to say the least – and the Covid-19 pandemic.

More recently, my information fatigue reappeared with the latest escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine. In the past few days, my social media feeds and email inbox have been flooded with commentary, analysis, think pieces, and raw footage from the region. This fatigue is compounded by the emotionally charged reactions on all sides, a consequence of the undeniable tragedy of innocent lives lost.

So, how do I handle it? Let me share some practical strategies that I’ve found incredibly helpful.

One of the most effective methods is a deliberate choice to step away from social media and limit my overall screen time during the weekends. It’s like a mental and emotional reset.

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For example, last weekend, I made a conscious effort to avoid platforms, because I know how I can be – glued to my phone with a strange FOMO (fear of missing out) on information, and scrolling until my thumb gets a cramp.

When I dived back into my work on Monday, I gravitated towards long-form articles that provide essential historical and cultural context, rather than quick, hastily composed hot takes. Context is the key to grasping the nuances of complex geopolitical issues.

To expand my perspective beyond my usual realm, I frequently turn to publications like Le Courrier International, a French weekly newspaper that carefully curates articles from more than 900 newspapers in the world, from Israel’s Haaretz to Burkina Faso’s Le Pays, and translates them into French.

Additionally, I love reading online magazines like Le Grand Continent, which specialise in publishing comprehensive explanatory pieces on geopolitics spanning Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and beyond, in five languages. I can spend half an hour on each piece, because they provide a lot of context, which feeds my curiosity and encourages me to do a bit more research elsewhere.

Furthermore, I’ve rediscovered my appreciation for Franco-German channel Arte’s Le Dessous des Cartes (“Under the Maps”), a show that my history and geography teachers had often raved about and encouraged students to watch.

This programme offers an engaging and informative exploration of territorial disputes and historical timelines of conflicts, presented using beautiful maps and data visualisation, making complex issues more accessible to the general public.

As technology continues to change how we access and process information, the challenge of keeping up and understanding what’s happening around us is more relevant than ever. It interrogates me as a journalist, so I try to practice what I preach.

I have shied away from reacting quickly to every breaking news story or sharing hastily composed “hot takes”, because I feel it’s just adding to the noise. Instead, I’ve learned to prioritise quality over quantity, seeking out comprehensive sources and in-depth analysis to provide a more nuanced perspective on complex issues. This commitment to in-depth, thoughtful journalism aligns with a broader trend we’ve seen in recent years – a resurgence of interest in “slow journalism”.

Publications like Delayed Gratification and The Dial, a brilliant online magazine of culture, politics, and ideas from around the world, have emerged, offering readers a chance to engage with well-researched, long-form journalism that delves into subtle nuances. It’s a recognition that, amid the noise of rapid-fire news cycles, there is a hunger for thoughtful, reflective reporting.

It’s precisely this ethos that drives me to continue producing La Revue Écossaise, despite the numerous challenges that independent publications.

I believe there is an essential need for the space and time to let our brains breathe, to learn, and to think deeply about the complexities of our ever-evolving world.