Information Overload

It is said that in today's world information is ammunition. However, excessive amount of information tends to lag our productivity. In fact, information overload is a major problem in this age of digital technology where we are constantly faced with information. Turn on the television, tune to radio, connect to the internet or scroll through the social media pages and we are instantly showered with data. Very often our minds today are consumed with a deluge of data resulting in poor study or work performance.

Day-to-day, we have to make decisions often within a short period of time with the information we have at hand. Information overload occurs when there is difficulty in making decisions due to an abundance of data. Often multiple barrages of information and excessive data confound the users and detract them from understanding, evaluating and analysing facts. While in the current economy, information is an invaluable commodity, there is excessive information out there in the void of the internet that tends to befuddle us. 

In virtual world, our mind tends to flit about incessantly and grasps the content that exerts an immediate attention. Tech industries are aware of this which is why they exploit our attention for profit. Thus, screen time comes with the heavy cost of information overload. Unless we rein in and take charge of what our brain is perusing online, we could be mindlessly doomscrolling adding to information overload and poor performance. It is thus essential to be proactive about our internet perusal. 

If we carelessly scroll through the internet, taking in random bits of information without filtering them, we aren’t exercising our cognitive skills. As such, we could be subconsciously taking in the wrong kind of information without weighing its accuracy. Then there is the herd mentality that drives the masses. We, as human beings, are a social animal who tends to follow the crowd. We are prone to swaying to the popular opinion as we take shelter in conformity and familiarity. Very often we lean towards information better suited to our thoughts and beliefs.  And we lean in to information not just for knowledge but also for an ulterior advantage. 

If one has valuable information, one holds a sway over those who do not. However, not all information is beneficial and when there is an overload of information, we lose our footing and stop thinking pragmatically.  To curb information overload, we can try disconnecting from the internet every once in a while. It is really the most effective way to limit overexertion. However, it could be required of us to remain online constantly for work or study. In that case, we can regulate screen time. 

For example, we can unfollow those accounts or pages that are irreverent to our lives. When we thus learn to shift through information, consistently evaluating its impact on us, we become the ones in control.  It is in our best interest to effectively make the right decisions within an agreeable time span often with the right data. One of the necessities in current times is to be smart about the information that we are taking in. When we consume the right information and learn to deflect information overload, we tip the scale back to our own advantage.