'Information Obesity' Challenges Society's Comprehension

We find ourselves submerged in an endless torrent of news, perspectives, analyses, and expert opinions, yet true comprehension remains an increasingly rare commodity. 

The illusion of being well-informed pervades modern society, as individuals mistake exposure to a vast array of data for genuine understanding.

However, much of this so-called awareness is superficial, disjointed, and often subtly manipulated by external influences — ranging from media biases and algorithmic curation to ideological echo chambers and vested interests.

Despite the unprecedented access to knowledge, the depth of our insight has eroded, leaving many to navigate a complex world with an incomplete and distorted grasp of reality.

The term "information obesity" describes the condition of being overloaded with information, frequently as a result of easy access to data via technology.

This abundance of knowledge makes it difficult to analyse, evaluate, and make wise judgments. This phenomenon — information obesity — is not just a cultural or intellectual crisis. It is a legal and societal challenge, one that demands urgent intervention.

The Epidemic of Information Overload

The affliction is widespread and highly contagious. Nearly everyone you know is affected to some extent. They engage in online debates, consume endless streams of news, and watch discussions unfold. They hold strong opinions on every subject, convinced of their correctness.

But place them in a room and ask them to substantiate their beliefs, and they will falter. Their knowledge is not their own — it is borrowed, second-hand, a hollow shell covered by a thin veneer of facts.

This is the great paradox of our era: While more people have access to information than ever before, true wisdom is fading.

Thought is being replaced by impulse. Certainty is displacing curiosity. People no longer read to understand — they read to argue. They consume, not to expand their minds, but to affirm their place within a group.

The constant influx of information is not just overwhelming — it is weaponised. The architects of this chaos, the tech companies, the media giants, the political operatives, all understand a simple truth: an overstimulated mind is an easily controlled mind.

When people believe they are informed, they stop questioning. When they are drowning in details, they lose sight of the bigger picture. The goal is not to educate them but to exhaust them. An exhausted mind does not think critically. It reacts.

The Legal Landscape of Information Gluttony

From the perspective of a legal professional, the challenge that information obesity poses to the legal system is immense. The boundaries of free speech, disinformation, and the function of regulation in an open society have all long been issues for the legal system.

Critical legal theorists like Cass Sunstein, Duncan Kennedy, and Michel Foucault shed light on the systems that permit information overload and its effects. Information is utilised as an instrument of control, as demonstrated by Foucault's concept of power-knowledge. In the digital age, organisations that prioritise engagement over truth use this ability to control the flow of information.

Although misinformation legislation, like the Digital Services Act (DSA) of the European Union, aim to hold tech businesses accountable, they frequently ignore the underlying issue, which is the commodification of information.

Duncan Kennedy, a key figure in Critical Legal Studies, critiques how legal structures often reinforce hierarchies of knowledge. He argues that legal frameworks can be manipulated to favour those in power, making information asymmetry a tool of oppression rather than enlightenment.

This is evident in how misinformation is not just a byproduct of the digital age but a weapon used to shape public discourse and policy.

Cass Sunstein, through his work on information cascades, highlights how digital platforms amplify misleading narratives by exploiting human cognitive biases.

The United States’ laissez-faire approach to digital regulation, favouring corporate autonomy over consumer protection, has allowed tech giants to consolidate their grip on information dissemination.

Meanwhile, misinformation disproportionately affects marginalized communities, targeted with digital campaigns designed to reinforce existing power structures.

The Illusion of Choice in an Age of Algorithmic Control

The problem is not merely that people consume too much information. It is that they consume the wrong kind. They believe they are making choices when, in reality, algorithms dictate their intellectual diet.

A person scrolling through their feed might assume they are reading a variety of sources, but in truth, they are trapped in an echo chamber carefully designed to maximise engagement and outrage.

Laws attempting to regulate these algorithms face enormous challenges. The European Union’s AI Act seeks to impose greater transparency on algorithmic decision-making, but enforcement remains weak.

In the United States, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act continues to shield platforms from liability, allowing them to amplify harmful content with little legal consequence.

Governments struggle to keep up with the speed of technological change, and regulatory frameworks are consistently one step behind the tech industry’s innovations.

This failure of legal intervention has created a world where misinformation thrives, where fact and fiction blur, and where public discourse is dictated not by truth but by the highest bidder. Democracy, which depends on an informed citizenry, is eroding under the weight of infinite yet shallow knowledge.

The Cure: Discipline Over Consumption

What, then, is the remedy? It is not ignorance — for ignorance is merely the twin of misguided certainty. The answer lies in discipline. Consume less, but comprehend more.

Approach knowledge as you would nutrition: with intention, with care. Before absorbing information, ask yourself — does this deepen my understanding, or does it simply give me the illusion of being informed?

The legal framework must evolve to meet this challenge. Stronger regulations on data transparency, algorithmic oversight, and corporate accountability are imperative.

Policymakers must understand that unrestricted access to information should not equate to unchecked manipulation of public perception.

Education systems must prioritize digital literacy, equipping individuals with the skills to critically assess sources rather than passively absorb content.

But ultimately, the responsibility lies with the individual. A society addicted to information cannot legislate its way out of the problem.

People must reclaim their intellectual autonomy, resisting the urge to scroll endlessly, to argue reflexively, to consume mindlessly. Because in the end, informational obesity is worse than physical obesity.

A fat body can still think. But a fat mind is just noise pretending to be thought.

(The writer is a research fellow at the India Foundation. Views are personal)