Technology has dramatically changed the way we access information. Gone are the days of only reading the morning paper and watching the evening news to get updates on current events.
Nowadays, we can get access to news 24/7, coming at us from multiple channels, allowing us to get information practically in real-time.
However, is all this good?
In our latest blog post, we discuss how digital technology changed the way we consume and process news, and how information overload can be a serious problem.
Other than unplugging, how do you guys deal with information overload?
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I stop watching news for the day when I notice that the current day’s news is getting repeated by the next newscaster / news reader.
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We should be digesting information, instead of just consuming it. lol
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@coen The funny thing about that is, that according to science, there’s a finite amount of information that our brain can process at any given time. So we can really digest a small portion of what we’re actually consuming. I know people who will simultaneously scroll on their smartphone while watching TV & try to have a conversation with someone sitting next to them . I honestly don’t know how they do it.
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They don’t truly “do” it. They simply believe that they are doing it.
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You said it right Ursala, they are trying to have a conversation with you while being busy doing other things. Hearing is not the same as listening. It takes 2 to Tango!
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Well, during peaceful times we can be concerned about over-consumption of news… IMO given the current world situation, you could of course unplug or get disengaged with the course of events, but war does not care. It will plug you back in without asking for consent.
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Agreed. At the extreme, you are not consuming information any longer. Just… time. And time… is undoubtedly the most valuable resource we have.
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I’m quite radical in terms of limiting my exposure to information. On a daily basis I do not watch TV, I do not listen to the radio, I also don’t have any news on the social media I use, let alone limiting time i spend on them. I’m proudly living under the stone and i’m very happy about it. 
It changed when the war with Ukraine broke out, I’ve been following news thread on BBC ever since but I’m using it consciously rather than bump into different information during the day. I found it very relieving to just give up on consuming information. I’ll have someone around me telling me about the most important things eventually and i don’t have the need to be always up to date. 
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Information on war is so heavily propagandated from both sides that it is a waste of time to even sniff at it before consuming it, let alone try digesting it. The only thing I know for sure is that the Ukrainian and Russian people pay the highest price in this conflict. Its always the poor and innocent who suffer the most.
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True, the propaganda and information manipulation is huge. I’m more involved because i’m volunteering in helping refugees so at least i’m following essential information to be up to date here.
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Yes. People consume too much information, and I know I do less, but I still do too much too.
Most news is propaganda. Much “science” fails reproducibility. Social media is mostly toxic. We all need to relax and find contentment and peace more, and we need to enjoy the time we have on this planet.
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Agreed, it’s scary how much time i still spend on watching/ listening/ reading something that really doesn’t matter. I’m trying to consciously consider every time i’m scrolling past something if that information i’m currently consuming gives me something valuable. Is this information useful, inspiring, important? If not, i just close/ unfollow the source so i don’t spend more precious time on that.
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I’ve made a conscious effort to limit the amount of information I consume at any given time. When I am doing work activities, I prefer silence & I can’t even have background music on because I feel like it’s distracting.
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I agree, and allow me to go forward. There is a 24H “fear culture” propaganda these times that limits our critical thinking and restricts access to information. I suppose that we still are beings with a brain that allows us to think by ourselves. I’m sure that it will have serious long-term consequences for some individuals.
I’m restricting the websites I visit. I’m avoiding news websites at all. I only see some series or movies on tv, not news anymore. I’m more than glad that I don’t have social media and all their censorship.
I’m not sure what is happening with this world, but I’m sure that the lack of homeostasis will damage the lives of everyone in several ways shortly.
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I’m surely guilty of overconsumption of media, but… I must admit that it feels weird reading that someone choses to cut off from news just in the same moment when some incredibly brave reporters risk their life to deliver first hand coverage on war in the heart of Europe. I’m convinced that it’s our duty to be (reasonably) informed while trying to stay sane and not get totally carried away by the volume of information available.
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@sim8500 staying responsibly informed is a very good way to put it. However, I think we all can see that media thrives on sensationalism & drama. I think @aleksandra can chime in here & confirm that physiologically, people are more triggered by negative news than positive news. I recently read a 2019 study, involving more than 1,000 people across 17 countries spanning every continent but Antarctica, which stated that, on average, people pay more attention to negative news than to positive news. So, perhaps, human attention is to blame?
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As @kirkmahoneyphd pointed out, they’re not doing it. I can attest to this myself as I used to be that guy. My late teens/early twenties are largely a fog because I thought I was successfully splitting my attention between my phone and my family/friends. However, I simply wasn’t present enough for my brain to really form short-term memories let alone long-term ones, and now much of that time period is a blur. I’m just glad I came to my senses in time to dedicate undivided attention to my grandmother in the moments we shared shortly before she passed, because if I hadn’t I’d be kicking myself right now.
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@whyoungblood Thanks for sharing your experience. Under normal circumstances, I find it quite easy to unplug & just be present. However, in times of crisis, when news is so relentless, it’s really that much harder and I really have to set boundaries for myself.
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That was a great read! Considering this topic I would also focus on WHY are we doing that.
And I am not talking about checking the news once or twice a day, just to know what happens in the world, but binge refreshing them all over again just to see if there is anything new. To me, it all comes down to FOMO. We don’t like to be left out, we like to know generally what is going on around us, and since there is a lot going on - we are doing it on an autopilot. Whenever I want to open this news tab on my browser, I am asking myself if this is really necessary and beneficial. After some months of practice, I must say, that my common sense and rationality are beginning to win out in this inner conversation :).
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