Every day we’re bombarded with “technology related news today.” AI will take your job. Blockchain will replace banks. The metaverse is the future. Quantum computing will break all encryption. It’s overwhelming.
I used to believe most of it. Then I started asking three questions.
- Who is telling me this?
Is it a journalist who understands the technology, or is it a press release disguised as news? If the source is the company itself, be skeptical. If it’s a blogger with no technical background, be skeptical. If it’s an independent expert with a track record, listen.
I once read a story about a new battery that would charge a phone in seconds. The source was the startup’s own press release. I waited. A year later, nothing came of it. The press release was just marketing.
- What’s the evidence?
Is there data? Independent testing? Peer‑reviewed research? Or is it just a CEO making a bold claim? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
When I see a headline like “AI surpasses human doctors,” I ask: where’s the study? How many patients? Who funded it? Often, the headline is overblown.
- How does this affect me?
Not “how will it affect the world,” but “how will it affect me, today, in my life?” If the answer is “it won’t,” then I can wait and see. I don’t need to get excited or anxious about something that’s five years away.
These three questions filter out 90% of the noise. The remaining 10%—the stories that pass the test—are the ones worth reading.
Try it next time you see a tech headline. You’ll stop feeling anxious. You’ll start feeling informed.
I’ll give you an example. A few years ago, there was a headline: “Self‑driving cars are coming in two years.” I asked my three questions. Who? The CEO of a car company. Evidence? A few prototypes on closed tracks. Affect me? Not yet. So I ignored it. Two years later, self‑driving cars were still not here. The headline was hype.
Now, when a new technology is announced, I wait. I watch. I let others be the early adopters. When the technology matures, when the evidence is clear, when it actually affects my life—then I pay attention.
This approach has saved me from wasting money on gadgets, from investing in fads, and from constant anxiety about being left behind.