Hi friends!
Okay! Remember when I told you about my civic fitness revelation? How I realized we're all trying to run civic marathons while living on a diet of nothing but pure outrage and breaking news?
Well, it's time to put my money where my mouth is. And I'm inviting you to do an experiment with me.
The Wake-Up Call That Made Me Say "Enough"
This morning, I actually counted my daily news consumption. Not obsessively—just a rough tally because I was curious.
The results? Fifty-seven (that’s right fifty-f*cking-seven) potential news touchpoints every single day:
13 news apps on my phone (each pinging me 3+ times daily)
6 news-related podcasts in my rotation. (Recently paired down from 11)
Dozens of Instagram posts from news accounts I follow
Email newsletters from the same sources (because apparently I like my anxiety delivered multiple ways)
Feminist newsletters, political updates, crisis alerts
And that's before.. BEFORE the rabbit holes. You know the ones—where you click on one article about climate change and suddenly you're reading about microplastics in your bloodstream at 11 PM, trying to understand if PFAS chemicals are lurking in your coffee cup. (Which the answer is yes. Yes. And, we're all going to die.)
Now, to be fair, I run a civic engagement organization. Staying informed is literally part of my job. But this? This is information binge-eating. And just like consuming copious amounts of anything that doesn't nourish you, I’m feeling sick, overwhelmed, and somehow still hungry for more. (UGH!)
So, something has to change. And I think that something is NOW.
The Experiment: Let's Do This Together
Starting this week, I'm going on what I'm calling "The Great Civic Detox." And I want you to join me.
This isn't about complicated systems or tracking sheets. It's about five simple questions that will change how you consume news:
The 5 W's of Information Literacy:
WHO do I follow? Look at your phone right now. Do it! Count your news apps. Think about the newsletters hitting your inbox. How many different news sources are you getting? Only 9% of Americans are very confident they can tell if a news organization does its own reporting, so most of us are probably consuming more duplicate content than we realize.
WHAT am I missing? Here's the hard question: Are all your sources saying the same thing? Take Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill"—I was getting tons of coverage about what was wrong with it, but zero coverage of what supporters actually saw in it. I wasn't getting balanced information; I was getting one perspective on repeat. Research shows 63% of Americans describe themselves as active news seekers, but if we're all seeking from the same bubble, we're not really seeking. Are we?
WHERE do I find balance? AllSides.com shows you the same story from left, center, and right perspectives side-by-side. They rate media bias across the political spectrum and provide balanced news coverage. Because freedom of the press means we need journalists from different perspectives doing their jobs well. And, if I’m being honest, pretty much all of my news comes from the left side of the aisle.
WHEN do I consume? Research shows that most of us feel overwhelmed by constant news coverage, and limiting news exposure helps with mental clarity - especially avoiding it first thing in the morning and right before bed. Which means I'm literally consuming news at all the wrong times. It's the first thing I check in the morning and the last thing I check before I go to bed.
WHY does this matter? Because my whole leadership philosophy depends on being well-informed, not just well-outraged. And none of us can make good decisions if we're only hearing one side of complex issues.
Your Turn: Join the Great Civic Detox
So, want to try this experiment with me? Here's what I'm asking:
This week, try one thing: Choose news sources that feel like smart friends, not angry strangers. Remove the news alerts from your phone, or switch when you consume the news.
Pay attention to one thing: How different information makes you feel. What about the time you consume news?
Report back: Comment below and tell me how it's going. What sources pass the "friends test" for you? What do you notice when you choose information that serves you instead of depletes you?
I'll be reporting back throughout the month on how this goes for me. The good, the bad, and … the moments when I want to scroll through breaking news alerts at 11 PM.
Remember: You can't pour from an empty cup. And you can't think clearly when you're constantly consuming information junk food.
It's time to get civically sober. Who's in?
Love + Light,
Sophia
P.S. No tracking sheets, no complicated systems, no guilt if you slip up and doom-scroll for an hour. This is about building better habits, not perfection. Let's just see what happens when we choose information that serves us instead of information that depletes us.
Ready to detox your civic life? Share this with someone who's drowning in information overwhelm. Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is step back and choose calm over chaos.
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