Have been thinking this exact thing lately. Of course, it’s perpetuated by a perception that it’s your duty to stay informed.

Really? It’s everyone’s duty to know the most extreme events happening at all parts of the world at all times of the day?

The people who really benefit from this mindset are news outlets, who need your attention to survive. Most things, you can check in every once in awhile, and you’ve fulfilled your so-called duty—if you actually have one.

This is a slippery slope argument, and the collateral damage is people’s productivity. I hate to think of all of the great books that haven’t been written, and the great companies that haven’t been built, all because people think they have a duty to remain distracted.