Seth Godin, writing on the very topic I’ve been mulling over all week:

We’re hooked into something volatile, easily measured and emotional. We overdo our response to news, good or bad, and let it distract us from the long-term job of living a useful life.

…

It'll be volatile with or without your help. Better to set it aside and get back to the real work of making a difference instead.

Social media thrives on volatility. Quick bytes of information that feed more quick bytes of information. And then on to the next thing.

We can go from horrified, to thrilled, to terrified, to sad, all in the span of seconds. It’s no wonder we’re exhausted. The quick hits of emotion seem to make us want to seek out other hits of emotion. It’s a vicious cycle.

Stepping away, taking a chance to breathe and digest, seems to be the only way to break the cycle. It’s a cycle that desperately needs to be broken.