In the here and now, the amount of information we expect ourselves to sift through is simply astounding. The murkiness of what is actually happening all around us swims in an ocean of input noise from all directions, all the time. Disconnect, and you are being naive and irresponsible. Plug in, and the pull to follow the inputs is palpable, and can be very emotional.
I'm not suggesting here that one should dedicate all their time to keeping up with everything happening around the world. It's just not humanly possible to ingest that much information in any useful sense. I'm also not suggesting that one shouldn't pay attention to the world around them and be the best ostrich they can be. You are what you eat; however, and you are what your mind consumes.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
--Aristotle
I think about this quote often. It isn't lost on me that Aristotle founded a school so his writing that supported education may have doubled as advertisement. But at its core it is a good principle to have when dealing with the information avalanche we can face daily. You don't have to accept everything you read. You can decide for yourself based on your own set of values if the information is constructive vs. destructive, thought provoking vs. dumbing down, usefull vs. useless.
I find that books help keep my mind grounded. There is a permanence to them I appreciate. Always keep in mind, however, you are what you read.