David Lewis of the International Stress Management Association originated the phrase "information fatigue syndrome." The barrage of data to which we are constantly exposed carries a cost, both physically and mentally. In many ways, it is a bona fide addiction.
David Shenk sites psychological studies spanning thirty years and lists several of the symptoms which accompany information overload
* Increased cardiovascular stress, due to a rise in blood pressure,
* Weakened vision, siting a Japanese study which predicts a nearly universal near-sightedness in the close future,
* Confusion (see below) and frustration,
* Impaired judgement based upon overconfidence,
* Decreased benevolence to others due to an environmental input glut (which may very well account for part of the "brusqueness" which is commonly attributed to big-city dwellers).
There is a common piece of wisdom which holds that any given fact can be twisted to fit one's needs. Witness the nutrition dilemma. Based on this week's reports, is milk good or bad for us? The answer, of course, depends on whose report you read. There are so many conflicting reports emerging constantly that one is left not knowing what to believe, a condition sometimes referred to as "paralysis by analysis."
This phenomenon may account for some of the decline in American health. Angelo A. Alonzo, a professor of medical sociology at Ohio State University, told USA Today Magazine (October 1994), "Health educators may well face a significantly desensitized population, segments of which are immobilized by fear, indecision, and confusion." When there is no clear method for improving our lifestyles, many adopt the course recommended most often by our mass media: fast food, material consumerism, and apathy.
On a society-wide level, the dangers of information overload are enormous. The engendered feelings of helplessness, confusion, and anger will erode work efficiency, family functioning, and most likely increase crime rates. We will lack the information-processing skills needed to elect responsible leaders or counter the myriad waves of propaganda pushing our dollars this way and that. (Of course, the argument could be made that this has already happened.)
If an individual's consciousness is formed by the information and stimuli he experiences, then the influence of data glut on our thinking is undeniable.
--William Van Winkle
In Part Three of this series, we'll look at solutions for dealing with Information Overload.
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