When buying stuff, I ask myself: "Do I really need this? How will I use this?" Generally, no clear answer = no buy. A vague idea about how I might use somethin

When buying stuff, I ask myself: "Do I really need this? How will I use this?" Generally, no clear answer = no buy. A vague idea about how I might use something, won't do. For most things, deciding these questions is quick & easy. But it's a surprisingly high bar. Expensive items may pass easily, if I perceive them as a much-needed, notable improvement. Many items won't, even if they're free. Why I do this? Because all stuff has a cost attached: €$£, environmental footprint from manufacture/disposal, (physical) storage space, mental capacity & time spent on its maintenance, etc. Even "free" stuff really isn't free. And I prefer to spend any of those resources where it's most useful (or makes me happy, anyway). Info-processing is no different. That funny cat video isn't just making you laugh. It took some time to download, some time to watch, some mental processing. That time & 'mental energy' are limited resources. Just like the money in your wallet, or the storage space in your attic. But most people are ill-equipped to treat their time & mental energy as the limited resources they are. Be frugal with $$: sure! Brain-time, not so much. As for disinformation, that's (mostly) a lost cause imho. Even experts have trouble separating quality from fluff. How are mere mortals supposed to do this? Even if: there's a wave of AI-powered crap coming up.