What I get in return is peace of mind. I’m able to stay neutral when friends, in person or online, tell me stuff. I don’t feel a need to counter with my own strong preconceived opinions. And I’ve seen that this has a tempering effect on other people too. People are less likely to be vitriolic if they don’t feel they have to make me see the error of my ways.
But what if I am letting “them” brainwash me? By not being fully “pre-informed”, am I opening myself up to misinformation that will eventually convert me into a hateful bigot? I don’t believe that is likely. First, the “them” here is friends and family. I know they come from a good place even if some of their opinions (for some of them, all of their current opinions) may be wrong at times. Being brainwashed by a horde of anonymous trolls on the internet is more likely and much worse. Second, I trust my inner compass enough to know that I’m unlikely to ever become that kind of a hateful person who actively wills harm upon a section of humanity. But I am, like most others, susceptible to being overwhelmed or confused. Opting out of the rapid bombardment of information online helps me avoid that.