Information Overload

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We are lucky that in today’s world when we have a question, we can instantly get an answer by typing it into a search or ask AI. You can even find a YouTube video on how to complete almost any task, and you can follow your favorite YouTubers for more information, or just entertainment.

Even for homestead or farmsteads, with so many content creators out there you almost don’t need to come up with your own ideas anymore… you can simply follow a dozen homestead groups, and the ideas will keep streaming to you. This can be a benefit and a curse, because not all ideas will benefit you in your climate, with your specific time or financial limits, and be the best option to meet your goals.

When we first started our own farm back around 2001, it was a much different experience. We purchased books, read magazines, and chatted with other experts to get the best ideas for building fences, keeping farm animals healthy, and growing produce. Through trial and error, we eventually learned a lot from our own experiences that has only grown since starting out.

Since times have changed, we have adapted over the years to take in the blast of information through social media. I have noticed the algorithm has changed recently and the videos have become much more targed, with sponsored adds and videos increasing in frequency and add posts. For example, I watched a post the other day about a farm in Washington state that is selling farm fresh meet. It looks pretty amazing… they package fresh and ship in dry ice to you at your home. The catch is that now, every third video in my feed is now from this farm.

If you let it, this amazing resource can become a huge time suck. When we do research by reading from a book, we are focused only on that one type of learning that will meet our goal we have set out to accomplish. When we use social media to do research we are exposed to an endless stream of distractions and advertisements specifically designed to keep us plugged in and distracted from our task. Am I saying that using social media is bad? No, not at all. I am pointing out that if you use social media to learn and get ideas be aware of becoming caught up and loosing track of time and focus.

Another issue I have come across with being able to do a search for information with immediate results is there are so many resources and not all have the same information. This can be a problem when you get contradictory information from different websites. How do you know what resource to trust? My suggestion is to ask someone you know that has hands on knowledge of what you are trying to do. Another great way to identify a good resource is to check their references. Most times you should be able to scroll to the bottom of the page, or if it's a video check in the video description. This should provide enough information for you to determine if they are legit or if you should look elsewhere.
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<Here is where I give ourselves a little plug> Groups like 1StrongHome are a great recourse because there isn’t only a constant stream of information coming at you… there are options to engage and ask questions. During our livestream videos twice a week you can tune in and ask your questions and we will answer in real time. We also have membership options through www.Patreon.com/1stronghome that you can select to gain access to individualized consultation. Other ways to engage are through responding to our Blog, messaging us directly, or even on our 1StrongHome Facebook or Instagram page. We have worked hard to create a usable service that provides next-level support through your homestead journey.
 
-Terri