Theory suggests that one of Internet main benefits is keeping everyone connected.
The reality, however, is far more insidious. This hyper-connection wreaks havoc on each of us.
Exposed to thousands of daily impacts, our minds are not equipped to process them—and won’t be in the near future.
If this weren’t already negative enough, in our professional field (programming), it’s not just the same—it’s worse. Information is shared without any discretion, cluttering others' minds.
The unwritten rule is that everyone must have to know everything. Everyone must be aware of everything. Because that’s responsible, right? It’s logical, isn’t it?
Isn't it?
This article is intended for everyone working in a team, whether large or small. For those who aren't, I believe you can still find some value in it.
Minimal Effort
But, why? Why do I need to know every detail of what my colleague is doing when it has no relation to what I am working on?
The mental chaos and friction caused by context switching affects me—and you too. We are having our cognitive bandwidth stolen right in our face.
Now, multiply that context switching by every member of your team. Or by every department in your company. Or every business area. The list goes on…
This isn’t a joke. This isn't funny. It’s fucking real. It’s widespread, and no one does anything about it. But again, why?
I’d like to believe there are strong reasons for this—that someone deliberately chose stand-up meetings, dailies, or Slack status reports as the most effective solution after thorough research. Oh, naive me.
If that were the case, I’d respect it. Honestly. But no, it’s far worse.
It’s simply the easiest thing to do. It requires no effort. Everything holds the same importance because no one has time to judge it in the first place.
Why? Because the people responsible for deciding are too busy multitasking.
Communicating everything to everyone, all the time, is just the laziest, least resistant path.
Defend Yourself
You're probably aware of self-defense techniques. Your mind needs something similar. You need to defend yourself.
First, we need to dismantle one of the biggest myths: the idea that there is potential benefit in staying aware of everything going on.
No. There isn’t.
Not all information is equally important, and if you can’t filter it, then you have a serious problem.
Where do you draw the line in the sand? It’s simple. I only care about what I can use now or in the near future. Something that has clear utility now. If not, I discard it. No hesitation.
Try doing the same.
This behavior isn’t just useful for information. It applies to almost everything. Example: Do you really need that course, or is it just discounted? Will you use it now or soon? Do you have an implementation in mind now?
We fall into this FOMO trap all the time.
Action vs. Movement
Sharing information—or reacting to it, whether it’s a report, a Slack message, or a meeting—creates movement. It makes us feel good. But it rarely has any utility.
There is movement, yes, but no action. They are not the same. Action produces results; movement does not.
You have colleagues who live in continuous movement. It looks like they’re doing something, but in reality, there are no results. It’s almost an art form really.
To produce results, you need the right information at the right time. This requires design, intention, some kind of process or set of rules. It doesn’t happen spontaneously.
Reclaim What’s Yours
You might think what I’m saying is exaggerated. Even radical. Fair point.
Now think about every meeting you’ve attended. How many were truly necessary? How many appeared out of nowhere? How many could have been avoided with an asynchronous conversation? More importantly, how many had a clear agenda and objective?
In other words, how many hours of your life have you spent making things easier for people who can’t organize or do their jobs? It’s not fair.
What could you have done, created, built, learned, tested, or experimented with during that time?
Who’s the radical now?
What Now?
If what you’ve read somewhat describes the dynamics of your team, all is not lost—but it will be challenging to achieve results on your own.
If you want real, lasting change, you’ll need the cooperation of others. You need your team on your side.
Find out if anyone else thinks like you. But be warned: be prepared for anything.
We’re so molded by this “always-sync-always-on” culture that many people can’t even imagine an alternative.
But there is one.
It’s not perfect and has its downsides—like everything in life—but it’s infinitely better than being squeezed by the false urgencies and priorities of others.
As a first step, arm yourself with the arguments necessary to start a conversation. They have none (except their own comfort), so this will be your first small victory.
I recommend two books: ReWork and The Shallows. Both were written years ago but feel more relevant than ever.
Conclusion
I remember when I first entered corporate environments many years ago. Being invited to a meeting was an honor. An experience. You felt special.
I also remember seeing all those executives moving from meeting to meeting, boasting about their packed schedules. They were envied. Now, I feel pity for them (maybe even a bit of disgust). And anger.
Good. You’ll need to channel all those intense emotions to challenge the status quo.
I hope now you understand what I mean when I say that information without action is noise. The kind of noise you don’t need in your head.
Good luck.
