Is knowing too much a good thing?

BY SEAN LIM

It can be quite boring reading the local newspapers at times, so whenever I have the chance to pick up a copy of The New York Times at University Town (free of charge haha), I would do so. Otherwise, online would suffice too.

So I chanced upon this article called "The Man Who Knew Too Little"

Bertha Henson, who is my lecturer for a module I'm currently taking, was sharing in class the other day on how important it is to keep reading, keep abreast of current affairs so as to "see how the country is moving", "see how the country has a life on its own" and be part of the national conversation, this Times article is a direct contradiction of this imperative to know what is going on around you

In an era where deliberate online falsehoods is perpetuated and so much political divisions in the U.S., this man here has decided to intentionally be ignorant about everything around him - a self-imposed information blackout.

It is quite interesting. He refrained from reading the news, from watching the TV, and even stopped his friends from mentioning anything to do with current affairs to him.

This triggered some thoughts: Will we reach a point of time where OB markers lose its relevance not because we have matured as a society/more freedom, but rather, S'poreans simply just don't care (perhaps we have already reached that stage, who knows?)

I mean, well, in a hypothetical scenario, why bother knowing about the implications of discourse on race, language, identity, family etc when the simplest thing to do is to cut yourself away from discussions. *inserts the meme - you won't get into trouble with OB markers when you don't participate in the first place*. "Best" of all, you won't even need to worry about fake news!

Sometimes I do share the same sentiments with the interviewee. Why bother so much about crossing OB markers, about bringing up sacred cows etc, when life could be simpler when you just don't care about anything. After all, ignorance is bliss, isn't it?

But I guess this is a privilege we can only see from afar. Much of our lives is so closely intertwined with the G, information included, such that it is very difficult to not know anything at all (e.g. new legislation that we have to follow, new things that we have to take action on - all comes through the news). Also, personally, I'm part of this big Singapore family. The stakes are there, we are still a nation in transition and we have an obligation to contribute to what matters to yourself and our country.

Those interested in this "information blackout" can also get hold of the book "The Winter of Our Disconnect" by Susan Maushart, where she as a mother cut off digital connections of everything in her house, from telephones to TVs to iPads etc, and lived through a winter without any digital communications