I want to be more disconnected from the news cycle. The feeling of being hyper-connected to the news can sometimes be a substitute for action.

Let’s analogize this to friendship. Via facebook, you can passively keep track of a friend. From their updates, you can learn what’s going on in their lives. So, you can feel connected, even if you aren’t actually talking to that person. This passive hyper-connectiveness can be a substitute for real friendship.

The same thing can happen with politics. I can feel like I’m involved, just by the massive amount of time I spend keeping myself informed. However, keeping myself informed doesn’t mean I’m actually doing anything.