Are we actually paying attention?

Jean Baudrillard and the Paradox of Modern Awareness: Are We Drowning in Information but Starving for Meaning?

Ah, Jean Baudrillard—the philosopher who basically told us, “Reality? Nah, that’s just a bunch of signs pretending to be reality.” If he were around today, he’d probably take one look at our world of overflowing news feeds, endless TikTok scrolls, and corporate buzzwords like “synergy” and “wellness initiatives” and just shake his head.

Baudrillard famously said, “We live in a world where there is more and more information and less and less meaning.” And honestly? He wasn’t wrong. Especially when it comes to health, safety, wellness, and environmental awareness. We’ve got posters, emails, seminars, and safety briefings galore—yet, somehow, accidents still happen, mental health gets ignored, and sustainability takes a back seat to convenience. Are people just tuning it all out?

It’s like this: Imagine a workplace where every corridor is lined

with posters saying, “SAFETY FIRST!” and every meeting starts with a “quick wellness check.” Sounds great, right? But if people treat it like background noise—just more simulation, more signs rather than real meaning—then does it actually make a difference? Baudrillard would argue that we’re stuck in a loop of hyperreality, where we consume safety and wellness content without actually absorbing it. We feel informed, but are we really acting on it?

So, how do we break free? Maybe it’s time to cut through the noise and bring back genuine engagement. Less jargon, more action. Less performative safety culture, and more real conversations. Less “we care about sustainability” marketing, more actual sustainable practices.

Because if we’re not careful, we’ll be stuck in an endless simulation of awareness—where we know everything but do nothing. And that, my friends, would be peak Baudrillard.