A popular meme in the world of self-care adapts the traditional notion of dieting. It reads: ‘Your diet is not only what you eat. It is what you watch, what you listen to, what you read, the people you hang around. Be mindful of the things you put into your body emotionally, spiritually, and physically.’ The saying recalls a tenet of the self-development philosophy of American entrepreneur Jim Rohn, further championed by life and business coach Tony Robbins: ‘Stand guard at the door of your mind.’ This notion of mental vigilance is empowering, as it encourages a holistic awareness of what information and ideas we allow ourselves to consume in the regular course of life. Being conscious of what we absorb and focus on, and protecting our minds from damaging stimuli, has the potential to completely transform our outlook and overall health.

This self-dieting concept recalls for me a clever insight once made by a friend on the subject of social media. She speculated that, in the same way we have come to recognise certain foods as harmful to our health over time, humanity is likely to realise the detrimental effects of social media on our lives, and to recognise the health benefits in regulating our social media diet. It is worth considering the extent to which any media ‘feed’ is in fact junk food for the mind and self - and for broader society. As governments are now having to consider regulatory frameworks for social media and big data, this highlights the unfettered nature of new media technologies, and how important digital self-regulation is for the individual consumer.