The Information Diet by Clay A. Johnson Summary
Overview of The Information Diet
In "The Information Diet," Obama campaign manager Clay Johnson reveals how we consume 3.6 zettabytes of information daily - creating "information obesity" that threatens democracy. Are your media habits making you mentally unhealthy? Discover why digital literacy is the new essential nutrient.
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Key takeaways
We're Drowning in Information-and It's Making Us Sick
Think about the last time you checked your phone. Was it five minutes ago? Two minutes? Are you fighting the urge to check it right now? We live in an age where the average person consumes twelve hours of information daily-more than we sleep. Yet somehow, we seem to know less than ever. Protesters hold signs demanding "Keep your government hands off my Medicare," apparently unaware that Medicare is a government program. Climate scientists present overwhelming evidence while public opinion splits along partisan lines that have nothing to do with the data. We're not suffering from ignorance anymore. We're suffering from something far more insidious: information obesity. This isn't hyperbole. Just as industrialized food created an obesity epidemic that transformed America's health landscape in mere decades, industrialized information has created a cognitive crisis that's reshaping our minds, our bodies, and our democracy. The parallel is almost too perfect to be coincidence. Both crises stem from abundance without wisdom, from industries that discovered how to exploit our evolutionary vulnerabilities for profit, and from our collective failure to recognize that more isn't always better. In 1990, not a single American state had an obesity rate above 14%. By 2010, not a single state had a rate below 20%. This wasn't a failure of willpower-it was the inevitable result of an industrialized system that discovered how to manufacture products our brains couldn't resist.
The Industrial Revolution of Information and Food
Your Brain on Information: The Neuroscience of Digital Addiction
The Three Faces of Modern Ignorance and Their Physical Toll
Becoming an Infovegan: Conscious Information Consumption
Training Your Attention Like an Athlete
Reclaiming Democracy Through Better Information Habits
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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