Drowning in Information Overload

We’re being swept away by a stream of news and notifications — the crisis in Ukraine makes it clear

Ukrainian civilians being evacuated from Irpin pass a destroyed bridge into Kyiv

The war in Ukraine has consumed us in a sudden and overwhelming information overload. After weeks of warnings about a potential war in Ukraine preceded by years of increasing antagonism, the Russian military marched into the country and swiftly altered geopolitics for decades to come. Within minutes of the invasion, the global news cycle kicked into high-octane war coverage, and it hasn’t stopped since. While it is vital that the war and suffering of the Ukrainian people are reported as transparently as possible, the flood of information through our phone screens carries its own kind of harm. The Ukraine crisis is adding another layer to our already existing crisis of information overload, and it’s damaging collective mental health in myriad ways.

Let’s start with the immediate factors concerning the Ukraine war. Given the nature of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, the conflict has taken on a personal dimension for many around the world. Even if you have no connection to Ukraine or Russia, the war has felt intimate and overwhelming. Is the next world war on the horizon? Is the global economy about to enter a prolonged recession? Someone could be sitting at home in Jakarta or Buenos…