Some definitions of “Information Overload”
The term "information overload" was coined by Alvin Toffler in his book Future Shock (1970). Here are some definitions:
Source: Wikipedia
Information overload refers to the state of having too much information to make a decision or remain informed about a topic. It is often referred to in conjunction with various forms of Computer-mediated communication such as e-mail and the Web.
Source: PC Magazine Encyclopedia
A symptom of the high-tech age, which is too much information for one human being to absorb in an expanding world of people and technology. It comes from all sources including TV, newspapers, magazines as well as wanted and unwanted regular mail, e-mail and faxes. It has been exacerbated enormously because of the formidable number of results obtained from Web search engines.
Source: Business Dictionary
Stress induced by reception of more information than is necessary to make a decision (or that can be understood and digested in the time available) and by attempts to deal with it with outdated time management practices.
These definitions leave me somewhat puzzled. Certainly we cannot stop avoiding information. We certainly need lots of information in our work, learning, and entertainment…
The larger question is if there are effective ways of getting the "right information" without excessive stress or effort like working 60, 70 or 80 hours per week. Certainly there are many technologies and methods that can help in finding, filtering, summarizing and negotiating the “right” mix of information we need.
Tags: Information Overload
June 30th, 2010 at 12:37 am
Awesome post – I was thinking about an article on a related subject that I need to take a shot at, but from a slightly different angle. Thank you for sharing this with the rest of the world…Obviously a lot of people appreciate it too!