Is there a way out? Experts propose the Slow Web — a slower, more mindful way of using the internet that helps us regain control of our attention and discover better sources of information.
In an era of constant connectivity, even a holiday often does not mean a break from your smartphone. “Some head for the mountains, others for the seaside, but even on holiday few people really part ways with the internet.”
The information flood: more than we can absorb
According to the neurosurgeon Jacek Gołąbiewski, today each of us is bombarded with around 100,000 words a day — twice as many as in the 1990s. The cause is social media, smartphones and news portals.
Jan Jęcz, an analyst of the digital economy, explains:
“I open Facebook, I open Instagram, I open TikTok and I just scroll through whatever the company serves me. I don’t decide what I like more and what I like less. I simply hope that somebody else will think about hitting my taste.”
That is the heart of the problem: the algorithms of the big platforms are gradually replacing our own choices.
The Slow Web idea
The alternative is the Slow Web movement — a more conscious consumption of information. “It’s about taking in content more attentively and more selectively, and sometimes it’s even worth putting up barriers to the flow of information altogether, to ease its pressure,” Jęcz stresses.
His comparison is telling:
“Going online is like walking into a restaurant. We have barely sat down before the dishes start arriving. And we eat and eat, although it’s not always our conscious choice.”
From headlines to newsletters
The problem affects journalism too. “Even reputable news outlets have started resorting to loud but empty headlines. That runs counter to the principles of classic journalism, where the headline was supposed to convey the gist,” Jęcz observes.
As an alternative, he suggests turning to RSS feeds and newsletters. “For me, the real revolution was going back to the idea of RSS and mailing lists. It lets you receive information without intrusive algorithms, at a moment that suits you and in a calmer form,” the expert says.
Among his examples are the Garbage Day newsletter, projects on Substack such as the journalist Max Read’s Read Max, and the writing of the Nobel laureate Paul Krugman.
Podcasts and new social networks
Podcasts can be another way of “slowing down”. “Their format demands sustained concentration — half an hour or more. It’s real attention training in an environment of information overload,” Jan Jęcz points out.
Among the new tools he names the social network Bluesky, which lets users set up their own feed and opt out of algorithmic recommendations.
The challenges of a slow internet
Switching to slow consumption of information is not easy, though. “When everyone around you is scrolling the same platforms, it’s very hard to change your habits and wall yourself off a little. You can get so-called FOMO — the fear of missing out,” the expert notes.
This is a matter not only of individual practice but of the system as a whole. States and regulators need to act in order to “keep algorithms in check and prevent platforms from abusing their power”.
Back to the “wild web”
The Slow Web idea echoes a broader cultural movement: the “rewilding” of the internet. The well-known essay “Rewilding the Internet” calls for the web to develop beyond the influence of big corporations, and for support for independent websites and small communities.
“It is an attempt to revive the uniqueness the web had before the era when social platforms came to dominate it,” Jan Jęcz concludes.
Dr. Myroslav Trofymuk
Born in Lviv. Designer, director, musician, researcher, founder of ZEMLA STUDIO. Master of classical philology and digital marketing, PhD in the history of Ukrainian literature. Member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine. Since 2022 he has authored the CENTRUM MUNDI audio show for Polish Radio for Ukraine, continuing the same research into the contemporary music scene in Ukraine and Poland.
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