How much information do you consume daily? The range of consumption is quite wide, because more information than ever is freely available -- and free in both senses. Not only does the information spread at will, but it also costs people nothing, beyond the cost of an internet connection, to consume. That might sound like some golden ideal, but there is a downside to the amount of available information. It's easy to get lost in it and lose focus on what is truly important.

It has become popular in entrepreneurial circles to advise against almost all ephemeral information consumption. Avoid all but the highest quality, in-depth blogs. Don't read the news. Greatly limit social media usage. There is much practical wisdom in this advise. Take a look at the most successful entrepreneurs, whether they be business founders, musicians, writers, or any other self-made individual. Do you think they spend countless hours on blogs and Twitter?

Yet the low-information diet does have its drawbacks. For many of us, remaining aware of pop culture trends helps us relate to others, whether that is our spouse, our children, or just friends. For others, a certain level of ephemeral information is necessary to stay apace in an industry. Chances are, a low-information diet can do more to isolate you rather than liberate you. The key, as always, is finding balance. 

Understanding kids

The first reason for eschewing the low-information diet starts at home. When I think back to my youth, I see my parents struggling to understand my siblings and me. Almost all parents struggle with this to a degree. Their awareness is framed by their own experiences, and the next generation will necessarily have different experiences. As you get older, it becomes more difficult to step outside of your own experience and understand something new. Why do you think so many elderly people have trouble adapting to technological and societal changes?

Modern parents are armed with much more available information than my parents were. Trying to digest all of this information is a fruitless exercise, and the level of noise present in ephemeral information will only serve to confuse you further. There is a balance to be found here, though. Keeping up with a few pop culture outlets, such as Slate, can make a big difference in how you understand your kids as they grow and mature. 

Keeping up with business

Even those on a low-information diet will agree that they should keep up with developments in their own industry. A mobile app developer will have to keep up with other companies that are creating mobile apps, especially those creating similar apps. A web designer will have to keep up with trends in that industry. As a home improvement professional, I have to stay current with new methods and ideas contractors are employing. But the information shouldn't end there.

While my job is mostly mechanical, I still keep up with technology news. Why? Because great ideas come as the result of crossing two or more already existing ideas. There is nothing moving faster than modern technology, so in keeping up with that news I am exposed to all sorts of current ideas. Many of these I discard as quickly as I imbibe them. Others I have to digest before disregarding. But there have been many instances where some bit of tech news has lingered in my head, and I was able to combine it with another idea to come up with something new. 

Keeping up with many industries does mean honing a discerning eye. If I were to seriously consider every bit of tech news I read, I'd find myself buried in a heap of noise. But by honing a discernign eye I'm able to get through that information quickly, subconsciously retaining the ideas that might make a difference and discarding the rest.

Social situations

One of my favorite quotes ever is often attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt: "Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people." In an ideal world, our social gatherings would flourish with conversations about ideas. Of course, we do not live in an ideal world filled with great minds. We live in a world with relatively few great minds, a goodly number of average minds, and a large heap of small minds. At a social gathering you will likely meet a people in similar proportion.

At social functions I am often elated to find people willing to talk about ideas. Yet they are rare, and it seems like they are increasingly rare. In order to have a good time and ingratiate yourself with other guests, you need to talk about events. And how do you talk about events? By reading about them. You might even get roped into a conversation about people. While I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to read information about most people, it can be a simple side-order in your information diet.

Again, I'd far prefer to avoid reading about superfluous events and people, but we live in society, not our own isolated worlds. Limiting reading in this regard can be helpful, but cutting it out entirely can put you in a box. No one wants to live in a box.

Some will say that this is what they mean when they say low-information diet, but I've seen the idea taken to an extreme by many entrepreneurs. It's not necessary. Reading is fun, and learning about events, and even people, can be a great joy. It can also help you understand your kids, generate new ideas, and have fodder for conversation.