People are the sum of their habits. Our habits are acquired behaviors through frequent repetition. Most people aren’t aware of their habits, which is truly a shame because these tendencies can make or break you. The information we ingest on a daily basis creates habitude. If you put garbage in, you get garbage out.
Unfortunately, there’s not nearly enough inquiry on how to be more mindful of the information we’re devouring. The idea of a diet is one way to conceptualize our consumption of media. The term ‘diet’ can refer to either a restricted regimen or simply everything we eat. So, now we have to ask, “What does our media ‘diet’ consist of, and is it ‘good’ for us?”
On average, people spend more than 490 minutes of their day with some sort of media; television, Internet, radio, newspapers etc. That’s more than 8 hours—eight hours a day is one third of our entire life! Just like a food diet, we must realize that the quality of the information we take in is just as important as the quantity.
On social media platforms, anyone can post information and claim it to be true. We’ve killed off the editor, because what’s fast and graphic is more pressing than what’s credible. Living a healthy lifestyle would be much harder without gyms, personal trainers, and nutritionists to keep us in line. The same concept applies to the media. Without editors monitoring the information we are receiving, our minds are easily filled with an array of both good and bad material.
The media has devoured the news. We click on the pieces that are most ‘liked’ by others or the pieces that are most easily digested. We deter from the option of a wholesome meal and resort to the munchies. It’s all eye-candy. Mental Sugar. Critical content goes unnoticed—ultimately wasting away.
In a world of unlimited content, our perspective and opinions are suppressed into strained capacities. Algorithms are being used to anticipate what we want based on what we previously showed interest in. And while this might be good for music, movies, and other matter, it’s not so good when it comes to managing our cognitive load.
The Internet is subjective, meaning that our experience depends on our navigation. As advertisers, we need to be able to sell ideas and create content in relevant and compelling ways in order to navigate the consumer towards a healthier media diet. At Harmon Group, we generate exceptional content to fulfill your nutritional media needs. Contact us today if your company is struggling with digital obesity.
If you want to know more about what we can do for your brand or business, contact us.