Many of society’s fears are planted in our minds by the news and by social media. Newscasts need to present stories in the most dramatic and exaggerated way possible—without straying from the truth. If there’s no drama, there’s no advertising, and without advertising, the news business disappears. People feed on that drama and, in many cases, on the suffering of others. This makes people watch more news, and the news outlets publish even more drama, creating an endless vicious cycle.

Social media, in turn, needs to present us with unrealistic scenarios in which everything in people’s lives appears perfect. People feed on that illusion of perfection, which makes them consume even more social media. And now—thanks to AI—these platforms can create even stronger illusions, deepening addiction and closing yet another vicious cycle.

At the end of the day, the only ones who truly benefit are the owners of media companies and social networks, who have become a new form of global political power. By exploiting our fear of missing out (FOMO), they keep us under their control.

Fear has been one of the main forces driving the world for centuries, and the only way to break free from it is by reducing our consumption of news and social media to the absolute minimum.