The Dharma of Information Consumption: Escaping the Firehose of 24/7 News

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I'll be the first to admit it: I have, of lately, been drawn to watching the news frequently. You could say I have a news vasana—a stubborn and binding tendency that sometimes leads to regret as I realize just how much the news has become like a book I can't put down.

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How does it hook me?

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The news is the greatest story ever told! The number of characters, plots and sub-plots are unmatched in the world of literature. Within the 24/7 news cycle, one finds conspiracy, collusion, conniving, scheming, machination, double-dealing, unscrupulousness, underhandedness, deviousness, subterfuge, ruse, and enough dirty tricks to keep one endlessly intrigued and engaged for hours each day. And yet, as of late, it’s as if reality itself has abandoned the script, unraveling into a spectacle so absurd and gripping that no novelist could have dreamed it up.

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Like many, I have an intellect that is curious and constantly trying to make sense of this maya. How I wish to understand it all! Sometimes I feel like Arjuna in the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, where he sheepishly asks Krishna to reveal his universal form:

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Lord, If you think that I am able to behold your cosmic form, then O Lord, please reveal it to me!...please show me your perennially eternal self. (11.4)

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Once given the divine vision, Arjuna finds Krishna's infinite form all-pervading and magnificent, and at the same time, terrifying and destructive. Arjuna gets, what is essentially, a firehose dose of the truth about the world that is so overwhelming it leaves him trembling and pleading for Krishna to make it stop.

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As part of the vision, Arjuna witnesses a radiance equal to thousands of suns shining simultaneously. In front of him are countless faces, mouths, and eyes stretching in all directions. He also sees numerous gods, sages, and celestial beings, and every living being—all at once—from the past, present and future.

 

Lastly, Arjuna observes the endless process of creation, sustenance, and destruction, along with time's devouring force. By showing Arjuna his supreme power, Krishna demonstrates that everything is under His control and reinforces the point that Arjuna should carry out his duty without attachment to results.

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Similarly, the 24/7 news cycle can feel like a firehose of unwelcome "truths." However, unlike Krishna, certain news organizations and individuals are only motivated to sell crisis, spectacle and outrage to shore-up their viewership and ad dollars. They prey on our insecurities and innate desire for knowledge, no matter the consequences to our personal and collective health.

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In decades past, we could easily escape the news for most of the day while we waited for it to be delivered to our doorstep, or aired on TV during a 1-hour evening time slot. Now it's almost impossible to avoid its 24/7 reach into our phones, laptops, social media, text messages, as well as public locations such as airports, cafes, restaurants, and bars where it’s broadcast from multiple large screens.

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And if you're an avid reader of the news, just reading a news report is not enough. You must also read the readers' comments and then, log into a social media platform like X or YouTube to get your favorite pundit or podcaster's take on it. A single news event can spawn a thousand articles, podcasts, and analysis—such is our hunger for understanding the events of the day.

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Unfortunately, this steady consumption of crisis and outrage triggers our fight-or-flight response, a chemical response in our body that is supposed to be temporary—just long enough to escape the tiger. The result is a brain that is overly sensitive to potential threats, making one feel constantly on edge (an apt description, I would argue, of the 21st century mind).

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There is another physiological mechanism at play as well. Our constant exposure to the news creates a feedback loop that triggers the brain's reward system with small hits of dopamine. As a result, we may turn into an addicted doomscrolling zombie. And like all addictions, it feels good—until it doesn't.

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Worse still, constant exposure to the shock and awe of the modern news cycle dulls our emotions. When unnerving events become routine, empathy erodes. The world’s suffering becomes just another headline, another notification to swipe away. "Oh well," we think to ourselves as another unnecessary and despicable action plays out on the world stage.

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During times such as these, like Arjuna, we might find ourselves trembling and fearful, begging for the world to show us its gentler, more familiar form. And yet, instead of a divine charioteer leading us to transcendence and acceptance, we are left fragmented, caught in an endless loop of anguish and despair that lacks any resolution.

 

But the truth about duality is this: the world is both beautiful and horrific at the same time. The same nature that awes us with majestic landscapes is the same nature that devours cities with fire, wind, and flood. The same life that creates also destroys. And let us not forget that as beings with intellects (the gifted actors in this cosmic play) we also are capable of both extraordinary beauty and unfathomable cruelty.

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So, then, how do we interact with the news without being totally consumed by it? How do we remain aware of the world's problems in a way that is discerning and measured, and yet, provides enough distance to act meaningfully rather than blindly?

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Just as Arjuna, after his vision, must still fight the battle but with newfound clarity, as individuals, we too must navigate the world without being paralyzed by its firestorm. We needn't hide our heads in the sand, but we also needn't take in the world to the point of becoming paralyzed by it.

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Perhaps gauging our information consumption is one of our time's greatest challenges. Perhaps the god-like tools we've created for ourselves are more than we can handle. Just as Krishna advises Arjuna to act without attachment, we too must cultivate a mindful approach to engaging with the flood of information. We need a dharma-of-information-consumption: a mindful, disciplined approach to the news and media that fosters wisdom instead of overwhelm, clarity instead of confusion.

 

Below are some guiding principles we might consider, drawing inspiration from the Bhagavad Gita and other wisdom traditions:

 

Yukta—Balance & Moderation

• Avoid the extremes of overconsumption and complete ignorance.
• Set boundaries: limit news intake to specific times rather than allowing a constant flood.
• Use viveka (discernment) to differentiate between necessary attention and unnecessary anxiety.

 

Satya—Truthfulness

• Verify sources before accepting or sharing information.
• Seek a diversity of perspectives to avoid ideological echo chambers.
• Recognize that all information is filtered through human bias.

 

Ahimsa—Non-Harmful Engagement

• Avoid feeding cycles of outrage that lead to mental distress and social division.
• Be mindful of how news consumption affects our emotions and interactions with others.
• Refrain from spreading fear or sensationalism.

 

Abhyasa—Consistent, Conscious Reflection

• Reflect on how information influences your thoughts, emotions, and actions.
• Regularly ask: “Is this helping me understand the world, or just making me anxious?”

 

Svadhyaya—Self-Study & Deep Learning

• Seek deeper knowledge beyond headlines—read books, historical context, and expert analyses.
• Prioritize understanding over quick consumption.
• Engage with long-form journalism and literature that provide in-depth perspective.

 

Tyaga—Detachment from the Illusion of Control

• Accept that most global events are beyond your direct influence.
• Focus on where you can make a difference—your actions, community, and personal growth.
• Let go of the need to constantly refresh the news cycle for control or certainty.

 

Karma Yoga—Right Action in Response to Information

• Let awareness guide compassionate action rather than passive despair.
• If an issue truly moves you, translate it into meaningful action rather than doomscrolling.
• Use knowledge to uplift, educate, or contribute constructively.

 

Dhyana—Creating Space for Clarity

• Just as Arjuna required Krishna’s wisdom to see beyond the battle, we need moments of silence to see through the noise.
• Set times for digital fasting—disconnect from media to restore inner clarity.
• Meditate on what truly matters, distinguishing between ephemeral noise and lasting truth.

 

By adopting the dharma of information consumption, we shift from being passive receptors of an overwhelming reality to active, conscious participants in our own mental and emotional well-being—seeing clearly without being consumed.

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This essay is part of series​ that explores the ancient concept of dharma as both diagnosis and prescription for our modern malaise. Drawing from Vedanta and mythology, each piece offers a lens through which to understand our turbulent world—not as a random mess, but as a lawful unfolding shaped by deep patterns.