The Information Overload Age
Before leaving for work I check my email and skim a few news websites. Once at work we hold a morning meeting cover relevant information which has change from the last time I came in (we have a lot to cover some days). During work I interact for many hours with people and on down time I once again check the news blogs. After work I will study until I leave to class where I consume more information. Finally I go home and more computer time. Total I actively spend hours a day receiving all types of information which doesn’t include the endless supply of information I see passively such as advertisements and ambient sounds. My consumption in information isn’t unusual hence why so many are worried about information overload(I.O.), but what are they really worried about?
History can tell us a lot about our current problems and information overload is no exception. People have been concerned about I.O. since before the printing press. Though, unsurprisingly, we have more documentation since its invention. There is a much more in depth article by IASC covering how we process information and what it really does to us. Of course we are experience more data than every before. Which has led to an usual problem of people not trusting data.
So there has almost been a return very traditional marketing and business techniques which are then supported by technology structures. Such as filming flash mobs or personal interaction and then creating commercials or online videos from the content. There are still many who are not comfortable with finding information about their purchases from media sources and are more comfortable speaking with people who sounds familiar. Leading to a trend of companies creating boutique stores and moving call centers to the countries where the calls originated from. Besides allowing companies to create a personal relationship with their customers but also control how their company is presented to the public. An advantage which was lost when they could only interact through third parties and internet portals.
So how do people deal with I.O. when its not as a consumer? Simple they react however their personalities dictate. Some are very methodical and read only certain blogs, some are all over the place and other monitor their time and work hard to be informed without it ruling their lives (with varying degrees of success). Ultimately the amount and type of data we consume is based on an individual’s interests and self-control.
Resources:
Making Choices in the Age of Information Overload – New York Times
Why Google Isn’t Making Us Stupid…or Smart
How to Fight Information Overload
Effects of Information Overload & How to Deal with it – Inforgraphs
Is Cue the Cure for Information Overload? – Universal search app
The Fallacy of Information Overload