What is Information Overload, and How to Conquer it
What is information overload?
Information overload is a condition where you have so much information that you can’t process it all. This can lead to stress and anxiety, since it’s hard to make sense of everything at once.
The way we use technology is also a problem: social media, email, the internet–they all give us access to tons of new information every day! If this isn’t something you think about often (or ever), consider how many times during the day you check your phone for notifications or browse Facebook for fun. It might not seem like much at first glance–but over time these small moments add up into an overwhelming experience that affects your ability to focus on other things in life like homework or spending time with friends and family members face-to-face instead of via text message or social media posts sent from across town instead of across campus…or even across oceans!
Why do you get information overload?
You’re probably familiar with the term “information overload.” And if you’re not, it’s time for a quick lesson on what it means. Information overload occurs when your brain is bombarded with too much information at once. This can happen when you have too many things competing for your attention and/or when there are so many sources of information that it becomes difficult to filter through them all.
How does this happen? There are several reasons:
- Technology is constantly evolving and becoming more accessible to people worldwide–we can access information from anywhere at any time via our phones or laptops (and soon enough, our glasses).
- With technology comes an increase in the amount of content being created every day; as such, there’s no shortage of news articles or blog posts about current events happening around us as well as trending topics like politics or health care reform–and sometimes even celebrity gossip! It may seem like there would be no way for anyone ever again not know something about any given topic simply because we’ve become so used to having easy access through search engines like Google or Bing. In fact, it seems almost impossible not only because these tools exist but also because they’re constantly being updated with new features that allow users greater control over how they interact with data streams coming from various sources; moreover these same platforms also provide additional functionality which enables users to customize their experience based on where they want their attention directed most often during any given session online (e..g., Facebook has its own timeline feature plus separate tabs where one could choose whether he/she wants news feeds displayed along side other types
How does information overload affect your health and wellbeing?
Information overload is linked to a wide range of health problems, including stress, anxiety and depression. It can also cause you to be less productive at work, less creative and less social. Information overload has even been shown to make people more self-centered by reducing their ability to empathize with others (1).
Information overload is especially problematic for people who already suffer from mental illness or experience chronic stress from their jobs or personal lives. The constant bombardment of new information can make it difficult for these individuals’ brains to function normally–and in some cases lead them down the path toward addiction (2).
What can you do about it?
Limit your use of technology.
- Turn off notifications on your devices, especially for social media.
- Set time limits for how long you can spend looking at screens each day and stick to it!
- Avoid using devices and social media right before you go to sleep.
- If you are feeling overwhelmed from information overload, engage in an activity you enjoy such as exercising, or sleeping. The goal is to clear your mind from information overload.
Furthermore, find alternative ways to get information, such as reading books or magazines (yep), listening to podcasts, or watching educational videos on YouTube. Take breaks from reading/researching/studying by going outside or doing something else in order to give your brain a break from all that information overload! Get more sleep so that your body has time to recover from being constantly stimulated throughout the day!
If you want to improve your health, mental wellbeing and productivity, you need to limit your use of technology.
If you want to improve your health, mental wellbeing and productivity, you need to limit your use of technology.
This is easier said than done. There are many ways in which we can be tempted into using technology more than we should: social media sites like Facebook or Twitter; email; online shopping; games and apps on our phones…the list goes on.
Limiting yourself from all these distractions may seem daunting at first but it’s important that you do so if you want to improve your life in any way (and not just with regards to information overload).
Conclusion
If you’re feeling overloaded with information, it’s time to take action. Start by limiting your use of technology and asking yourself if each new piece of information is really necessary. You can also try some mindfulness techniques such as meditation or yoga which will help calm the mind while also boosting productivity levels!
*Images included in this post are from pexels.com. Education Inspired does not claim ownership over the images used in this post. You can find them here: image 1, image 2, image 3.