“from
reading emails to managing status updates on mobile devices 24/7 with
an all-you-can-eat data plan - we are consuming information like
never before”
First watch the video:
Information
overload – what is this?
Information
overload is experiencing
too much incoming information in the form of sensory, verbal and
non-verbal communication in relation to the possibility of processing
this information.
“Everything
means nothing”
It
isn't possible to know all. It is a problem if we would like to know
all things in
one area of knowledge. This process well be seen in many blogs of one
topic or in magazines. If you would like know something about
architecture, you can choose from more than 20 magazines! Everybody
looks for information on the Internet. It is hard to distinguish
which website is good and is based on facts. We have easier access
to information but the selection of information is harder and longer!
We don't distinguish information from knowledge. Knowledge is the
information after processing. Usually brain doesn't able to
conversion information into knowledge.
Stress of
information
We
feel that we would like to control
our life. We should know about the coming events, news in the world,
what our friends are doing.... Some people are still up to date and
we want do the same, because we feel that we have to. We have
friends, family, work, study.. all at the same time. We have a
multitasking lifestyle. We are stressed if we have too much on the
head. 30 e-mails every day? 100 massages on Facebook? Some people get
used to doing a lot things at the same time, but it is a minority.
Only 2,5 % of people are “Super Taskers”. What with the others?
What
can we
do to reduce the overload and stress?
Although
there is no simple solution to the problem of Information Overload,
there are some things that can be done to diminish
the problem:
These include:
- Spending less time on gaining information that is nice to know and more time on things that we need to know now.
- Focusing on quality information. Writing shorts e-mails with only necessary information
- Learning how to create better information and how to remember the most important information
- Having breaks and spending time outdoors
- Single-tasking, and keeping the mind focused on one issue at a time.
- Spending parts of the day without devices (e.g. switching off e-mails, telephones, Webs, etc.) so you can fully concentrate on a thing during the period of the time
Qestions:
Have you ever felt information overload? Maby your friends? When and why?
What do you do to reduce this information overload or stress?
Is it necessary to be multitasking person?
Sources:
http://www.infogineering.net.
http://www.businessinsider.com/what-information-overload-does-to-your-brain-2012-8
I think that a few years ago I felt stronger information overload than now, but only thanks to my studies I have less time for surfing in the Internet etc.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don’t need any reduction of stress connected with information overload, because I can turn off the Internet, Facebook, and, for example, start listening to music, reading books or relaxing without any communication. Only thinking about my friends, for who I can be helpful, or about situations, when I wait for some important information, are the things, which don’t allow me to switch off my phone. On the other hand, feeling that we will get some information, is also the influence of information overload.
In my opinion, it isn’t necessary to be multitasking person, especially when we have easy access to a various kind of information.
The overload of information is kinda characteristic for XXI century. We've never had so much access to sources of information and ways to extend our knowledge. Most of us feel overwhelmed, but we want to keep track of all of the news.
ReplyDeleteI often feel overload when I come back from vacation. If I was gone for 3 weeks and hadn't had time to read the news then, when I come back I am so lost,I don't know what to check and read first! Unfortunately I'm one of those people who like to know everything that's going on, also in politics, so I often have to do some 'detox' in order not to freak out - I avoid watching news on tv and reading so much in newspapers and internet then.
I guess we sometimes have to give up and relax - as you said - we will never be able to know everything. It is better to focus on our needs and on our family and friends.
I feel information overload everyday, because information just surrounded me all the time. I can read some news on the Internet, on mobile phone, on billboards, on screens in subway and on TV.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, we just can't avoid information overload. There are so many articles which contains "empty" informations. We read them, but our knowledge doesnt't improve. I agree that it is very hard to select good information and it takes a lot of time. There are a lot of wbesites which also contains many mistakes. We should be careful about it.
I don't think that information overload impact on my life. I don't feel stress connected with it or just because of it. I am not addictive to the Internet and I don't spend much time in front of the computer just surfing. Sometimes I watch some films or series or read and comment some things on the Facebook, but it isn't the only way how I spend my leisure time.
I think it isn't necessary to be multitasking person. It is better to be very good at only some kind of issues. We can't know everything, it is just impossible. Also not every topic seems to be interesting for us. We shouldn't read it under duress, because it will be completely pointless.
The amount of information increase every day and we should pay more attention to what is written there.
Nowadays in job market it’s quite important to pass for somebody multitasking and flexible. But not always in everyday life.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel information overload, especially in media. “Life transmissions” from strange events upset me and disturb to find what I’m looking for. How do I reduce this feeling? I’m trying to select sources of information. I try not to read popular portals (onet.pl, wp.pl), but some with better quality (like wyborcza.pl) and I buy newspapers (regularly “Polityka”). I don’t watch TV and keep order on my profiles in social media. Now that helps, but how long?
I feel information overload especially while I’m working on something, looking for some information etc. You know, when your viewer has hundreds of tabs opened and finally you have no idea, where is what. Or when you go online, check your facebook or e-mail and receive too many notices or messages. I find it annoying, and therefore hate working on computer (so what am I doing on half-online English course?!). Unfortunately it seems to be inevitable these days. I don’t want to say, that such easy access to information is just a retribution, however I don’t like to depend only on technology. One of my everydaylife solutions is switching off the phone for the night – I don’t care whether someone need something from me or just wanna talk – when I go to sleep, I want it undisturbed! :) I believe it helps me being multitasking during the day.
ReplyDeleteI am aware that, unfortunately, I am not a multitasker. I find it really difficult to concentrate on more than one task. It even seems that I perform better doing things separately in sequence instead of trying to manage to finish them at same time.
ReplyDeleteMany people regard themselves multitasking and try to prove it. In fact, usually they just don't want to admit they can't manage to do it, because the brain is not adapted to such activity. Sometimes, it may be even dangerous. For example: eating, talking on the phone, smoking cigarettes and driving a car at the same time.
In the beginning I have to say that you chosen a very interesting subject of presentation
ReplyDeletePeople are not machines and when overworked they tend to make mistakes and quality of their work is worst. Unfortunately, that is how life is nowadays. Were you not keeping up with this kind of lifestyle, you are actually an outsider.
On the other hand maybe it seems weird, but some people are even enjoying this kind of life in world overfilled in information. They don’t like taking a break from it because it feels for them like losing control and it terrifies them. Maybe some of them just should learn how to relax. That’s why some people like to take a trip to deserted places in the middle of Africa, because their mobiles or laptops don’t have range and there is no way to check any emails.
So maybe we should go in the middle of the desert to avoid being overloaded with informations. :D
In my areas of studies (applied mathematics and theoretical physics) ability to endure information overload is almost a requirement to progress. I need to read about two dozens of periodicals and on average each one gives me about 180 pages of condensed, seldom explicit, theorems, experimental data analysis and theories that are usually right on the edge of my current understanding of topic. My friends joke that I change with each passing week into a mentat (Dune reference) because I actually got an intuition about what is important and what is not. Where can I find information about some particular topic, and what is (at the moment) irrelevant to me. To deal with that I prioritize this constant stream of information and I scarcely remember all of the information. I basically just try to understand what I can. I keep notebook with references, all color coded for better organization, and since almost all is given to me in electronic form I try to keep an elegant folder based compendium of my current data.
ReplyDeleteBut it is still, a lot of complex information and even more work I put to better organize things into a neat database of my interests.
To relax, I concentrate on my breathing, close my eyes and try at first not to think about all what I have in front of me. After that, still with my eyes closed I take a sip of my coffee and slowly regain clear view of what I need to do now. It feels like telling my own body that 'This is the state when I need all my mental potential. Are you with me?'.
It sounds silly, I know. But it works for me, despite feeling somewhere in the back of my head that I am conditioning myself.
I never thought of importance of multitasking, I have that ability and it is no problem for me to divide my mind into two tasks. But I assume, that it is very, very important.
But to end with humorous not, I like to know that it is by my will alone, that I set my mind in motion ;)
There is a lot of information. In TV, newspaper, radio and Internet. We are surrounded by the information on the street, at the university, at home, everywhere and every time. It is not possible to our brain coped with so much data. It can be stressful for us. To avoid stress we need to select information and realize that we could not know everything. If I want to get information, I will use an Internet. I think it is the best way, there is a lot of data, I can sort it and get the most important.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, personaly I like very much programs on Discovery Channel or National Geographic where I have a lot of information and from which I can learn a lot, but actually I realized that I realy may be overload by all this information, for example I realy feel tired on all my lectures and I have problem with remember simple thing like date of birth members of my family. I think it isn't necessary to be multitasking person but it is always better than being shiftless or person who doesn't care about anything, it is important to keep balance betwen being person who want to know everything and person who doesn't care about anything.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I must say I really enjoyed this presentation. Especially the video. However, I don't agree with all of the statements. It is true that we are attacked by the massive amount of information every day. It comes from internet, TV, newspapers, info-screens on the tube and buses, our mobile phones etc. It is everywhere. But I don't think about it as a bad phenomenon. The flow of information is a part of modern world. It developed along with the technology progress, which is kind of natural process. It enables modern global society to communicate, to work, I would even say to exist. Multitasking is a common thing. Everybody is a multitasker and I don't think this is an effect of information overload. People have been dealing with more than one duty or problem at the same time for a long time. Of course nowadays it is more visible, but I believe it started long time ago. So we shouldn't be laying the blame for everything on the internet.
ReplyDeleteFortunately I'm not addicted to Internet, Facebook, TV etc so I think that I don't feel an information overload. I do not sit at the computer 24 hours a day and I don't read gossips and articles. Also I'm not a nerd type so don't feel overwhelmed with information about my studies. In my free time I prefer to de-stress watching a movie on computer. So information overload is something alien to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm personally tired of information overload. And it's not that they are everywhere - on the radio, TV, Internet. But they are repeated over and over again. So it's fine that something happened and i'm happy to know that because I like to know what's going on in the world. But if I heard something ones I don't need to hear it again. I got that!
ReplyDeleteI think, I often felt overoad of information. That situation have place when I am trying to do do so many things at the same time and, as a result i can not focus on any of them.
ReplyDeleteI think I am not trying to reduce overoad of informacion but
I try all the time not upset of them. Also I try select information and pay mote attention to things more important.
In my opinion, currently it is necessary to be mulititasking to remember abaut all of our issues, responsibilities. You suggest to hang out without devices but I think it can be hard, becuase now we a lot of us are addicted to some of them. Generally, I like your advices.
Nowadays we have lots of different source of information. In the Internet there are many websites concerned the same subject- scientific, more understand for an average person, blogs and forums where everyone may write what they want. There are also various magazines- they occupy one level in Empik! And this is the main problem- we are inundated of many information and we have difficulty to choose one of them the best and the most useful. It requires many time and our brain start to break because it is impossible to focus in a multiple things. At a time of Facebook, Twitter, Mails, etc. it is very stressful because one person might encompass many small things like: comment on somebody’s post, write back to 100 e-mails, and also find out what’s happening in the world. But that person has also her own life familial which is more often neglect.
ReplyDeleteI feel information overload almost everyday, mainly when I'm in front of my computer (especially Facebook) or TV. Sometimes I feel like my head was full of garbage and what is the worst - I usually don't do anything about that, I just go to sleep and dream my junk dreams. Also almost everyday I'm trying to be multitasking and each of these days is just another failiure - that usually makes me so frustrated that I go home and look at photos of unknown people on Facebook.
ReplyDeleteI feel that same of my friends are overload. They spend too much time working with computer and phone and they are tired after whole day answering for questions, asking questions and getting information. They feel stress in real contact and relation with people. They can work on computer almost 24 hours a day, and during that work they make same breaks spending time on Facebook, online newspapers or private emails.
ReplyDeleteTo reduce information I switch off the phone and close computer few times a day. I write on paper what I want to do or know from internet and find only this information. I try to meet often with people with who I have conversation online I visit Facebook ones a day and check email twice (I want to try do it even rarely) I logout from Facebook and Gmail.
It is not necessary to be multitasking person. In my opinion it is better to do less them more. It is important to find out what we really like and be interested and concentrated on it. And it is better to get information from people than from internat.
Few years ago I used to feel information overloaded. I had to be up to date in my job, so had to read a lot of news, listen to radio or gossip. I was really tired. I decided to escape from my current life.
ReplyDeleteFirst 'big step' was to live without TV. I've gained so much spare time that I started swimming, cycling, jogging and learning new language.
Next big step was to turn off sound in my mobile while I'm at work and while I'm sleeping. It works great! You can better concentrate on your work and sleep better at night.
This two simple things has changed mt life a lot.
I must admit it's not easy to change our habits but it's well worth it!
I'm not the biggest fan of the theory that the more information you have, the more stupid you are. Everyone has to learn in their own time, not slower, not faster. Everyone has his on potential and it's impossible to learn more. Of course the more we learn the more our potential is and the more information we can absorb. This so called "information overload" it just going out of your potential. Of course, it's not productive but I'm not so sure that it will destroy my brain.
ReplyDeleteI remember once i have been overloaded. I've get to much information and I must go to bed and lie in there for 2 hours. After that I fall asleep. It's horrible. Know I know how to fight against overload. After knowledge how to fight i became multitasking person. I can different thinks in one time. It's hard but there is no one recipe for this and everybody must do it by yourself.
ReplyDeleteIt is open secret that interner is the largest garbage dump here on Earth. Everything depend on how we use it. Google give us few nice and easy to use comends, to make our interenet explorers more effective. Ofrourse topic of facebook and stuff like that is not worth to be touched.
ReplyDeleteI dont get how people can be stressed because of to many informations? WTF, we read so many news we really like to know. When I'm getting tired I just give up. Where is the logic?
Ughh for me this is next problem ot firt world. Really people...
I feel information overloaded very often. I live in a freakish way, I'm doing a lot of things at the same time, many things I have to learn very quickly and only a few I remember. People should focus on a few things that they will do well, instead of the many that they are doing less well. This is important to choose only the most importand and valuable information, we can't try remember everything, because it's impossible.
ReplyDelete