We’re all connected now, like never before. With the full activation of Starlink and 5G, there’s hardly a spot on the planet that’s not drenched in high-speed internet. Ubiquitous connectivity is finally here, and it’s virtually free.

And that has changed the world, again.

We’ve all become news junkies, Twitter addicts and Insta freaks. To say nothing about binge streaming from YouTube. Whatever platforms we prefer, our feeds are full, and there’s a constant barrage of infomercial content, masquerading as ‘hard’ news and serious opinion.

Most of it is either fun, fake, or futile attempts to influence our social and buying behaviour.

It’s a daily marathon just sifting through the clickbait and misleading headlines to find the few gems we shouldn’t miss – and there are always a few. Algorithms and AI filters help, but they tend to show you only what you ‘want’ to see, not ‘need’ to. Confirmation bias on steroids.

If you’re interested in continuous learning – essential for making progress – and have an insatiable curiosity – like most innovators and entrepreneurs – you have to open yourself up to new ideas and thinking; and that means wading through a lot of fluff to find the spark for the next big thing.

Ignoring the popups, ‘cookie monster’ ads and social snake oil pushers goes with the territory; and anyway, influencers are not very influential. Which is why digital marketers are constantly trying new gimmicks to grab your eyeballs.

In the long run, it’s value and authenticity that make friends and influence people. Simply talking at them, or worse, shouting, just doesn’t get through. They won’t hear a word you’re saying!