Coping in the "Too Much Information" Age

This morning I turned on my computer; someone instant-messaged me; I deleted, read, or responded to 73 e-mails; my cell phone rang; I noticed an article on my desk that I needed to read, and the Today Show was sharing the latest news in the background…all of this before I had even finished my first cup of coffee!

This type of scenario is becoming more and more common in our society.  Information bombards us in many different ways: snail mail, e-mail, phone calls, voice mail, instant messages, satellite radio, and TV channels dedicated to our every hobby.  Are our bodies able to respond to this much information? 

A book written by Yahoo! Executive Tim Sanders titled Love is the Killer App, coins a new syndrome called the “New Economy Depression Syndrome,” which describes an array of symptoms including depression, exhaustion, irritability, and anxiety.  According to Sanders, “NEDS is a type of depression that is brought on by information overload, which leads to an erosion of close personal relationships.  The depression is triggered by a combination of guilt [‘I can’t absorb all this information’], stress [‘I can’t withstand all these interrupted demands’], and loneliness [‘My life is me and my machine.’]”  “Just as fat has replaced starvation as our number-one dietary concern, information overload has replaced information scarcity as an important new emotional and social problem,” says David M. Levy, PhD, a professor at the Information School at the University of Washington.

 How can we cope?  Here are 6 ways to conquer the overload:

 1)      Go on a data “fast.”  Take a regular break, once a week at least, when you turn off your cell phone and pagers, shut down your computer, and spend time with your family, take up a hobby, or read a good book.  Experiment with a 24-hour period (maybe Friday night until Saturday night) and notice how different you feel.

2)      Only check your e-mail at pre-assigned times during the day.  Decide to check your e-mail at 10am, 1pm, and 4pm and then turn off the computer, leave for home, and respond tomorrow.  I admit, this is the hardest tip for me to adopt.  However, when I do adhere to this, I am much more relaxed and able to conquer the tasks of the day. 

3)      Unsubscribe.  Unsubscribe to some of your unnecessary e-mail lists (How many of us need three e-mails a week about our frequent flyer programs?).  Only subscribe to the amount of newspapers and magazines that you can read in one month.  If you can’t decide which ones to eliminate, take turns re-subscribing to your favorite ones in alternate years.

4)      Get a spam filter.  Eliminate as much unnecessary e-mail as you can by getting one of these.  Some examples are: www.ihatespam.com and www.spamarrest.com. 

5)      Remember the F.A.T. System.  Apply this to your mail, e-mail, and voice mail.  Remember, there are only three decisions to make.  Take all of the information that is coming to your desktop and either File it, Act on it, or Toss it.  Practice this technique and you should find it easier to focus.

6)      Set aside time.  Decide how long you want to spend answering e-mail or surfing the net.  Most of us have surfed the internet for information that only leads us to another topic that we find interesting.  Don’t get caught up in various topics that you didn’t intend to research in the first place.

7)      Talk instead of type.  Stay connected to family, friends, and clients by calling them instead of e-mailing.  According to Larry D. Rosen, PhD, a research psychologist at California State University and author of Techno Stress: Coping with Technology @Work @Home @Play, “we need to create a buffer between the technology and us.” 

 Even adopting one of these tips a week for the next two months should help conquer the overload.  Good luck!  I’d love to hear your results!

 Nicole 

 Sources:

 “Too Much Information!” by Rachele Kanigel.  OrganicStyle.com, November 2004, page 69.

 “Taming the E-Mail Tiger: Proven Tips You Can Use Immediately to Reduce the Stress of Information Overload,” by Barbara Hemphill. Taming the Paper Tiger E-mail Tips, July 2005.

 “Multitasking Makes You Sick,” by Nina Martin.  Organic Style, November/December 2003, page 55.