Garbage In, Garbage Out: Choosing What You Let Into Your Life

"Garbage in, garbage out" started as a computing phrase: if you feed a computer bad data, you'll get bad results. It applies just as well to people. What we read, watch, listen to, eat and talk about every day shapes how we think and feel.

You can't control everything you encounter. But you can make more deliberate choices about your daily inputs.

Why inputs matter

Our minds tend to absorb the tone and content of what we consume. Hours of angry social media can leave you irritable. A diet of catastrophic news can make the world feel more dangerous than your local reality. Constant comparison with curated images can chip away at your self-esteem.

There's some experimental support for this. In a 2018 study, Melissa Hunt and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania asked undergraduate students to limit their use of Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to about ten minutes per platform per day for three weeks. Compared with a control group, those who cut back reported significant reductions in loneliness and depression. It was a small study with students, but it suggests that what we consume, and how much, can matter.

The main input channels

Media and news. TV, streaming, news sites, podcasts, radio.

Social media. Feeds, comments, group chats, notifications.

People. The conversations you have and the attitudes of those around you. Our challenge day on examining your peer group explores this.

Food and drink. What you eat affects energy, mood and health.

Your environment. Clutter, noise, light and the spaces you spend time in.

Your own thoughts. Repeated self-talk is an input too.

A one-week input audit

For one week, keep a simple log. Each day, note:

What you consumed (shows, apps, news, conversations, food).
Roughly how long.
How you felt afterwards: better, worse or the same.

At the end of the week, look for patterns. Which inputs reliably leave you feeling worse? Which ones leave you energised, calmer or more hopeful?

Cut, reduce and replace

Once you know what's draining you, you have three options:

Cut inputs that consistently harm your mood and add little value. Unfollow accounts, unsubscribe from newsletters, delete apps.
Reduce inputs that have some value but are easy to overdo. Set time limits, turn off notifications, check news at set times.
Replace with something better. When you remove an input, fill the space deliberately or you'll drift back.

Nourishing inputs

Some ideas for inputs that tend to leave people better off:

Books on subjects that fascinate you, and good fiction.
Long-form articles and documentaries rather than endless short clips.
Music that lifts or calms you.
Time outdoors.
Conversations with people who are curious, kind and constructive.
Learning something new: a course, a language, a skill.

Curate your feeds

If you use social media, you have more control than you might think. Mute or unfollow accounts that make you feel inadequate, angry or anxious. Follow people who teach, inspire or make you laugh. Many platforms also let you turn off certain features or limit recommendations.

Don't overcorrect

The goal isn't to live in a bubble or avoid all difficult information. Staying informed and engaging with different viewpoints matters. It's about choosing deliberately rather than consuming by default.

Try this

Pick one input that you suspect is draining you. For the next week, cut it or reduce it significantly, and replace it with something nourishing. Note how you feel.

Sources and further reading

Hunt et al. (2018), No more FOMO: limiting social media decreases loneliness and depression, Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology