An article published by Research Gate on our information society speaks to the data overload our modern world creates. In 2007, the average person encountered information equivalent to 175 newspapers daily. In 1986, that deluge of data equaled just 55 newspapers.
The flood of daily distractions has only increased since.
Is it possible to achieve goals, experience happiness, and create a fulfilling life when your senses are so relentlessly assaulted? How can you find some peace in such a stressful world?
Use the following tips to manage and limit the seemingly limitless information you must process.
24/7 News Cycles
Fandom reports that 100 television channels in the US deliver round-the-clock news. They move from one 30-minute news broadcast to the next, and the next, and the next. This goes on every minute of every day.
You could park yourself in front of a television and spend the rest of your life doing nothing but watching the news.
You can access some of these and other 24/7 news stations online, through video streaming services, and on television. They are virtually unavoidable and highly addictive.
Unfortunately, most of the news these channels share is negative. That makes sense because of the way we are hardwired. The National Center for Biotechnology Information reports that humans are triggered more by negative news than by positive stories.
We respond more strongly to negative news than to positive information.
It’s wise to stay updated on local, national, and international news. It’s even wiser to limit your exposure to this powerfully negative influence.
Constant Connectivity
We are experiencing a relentless and ever-growing digital overload. According to Transforma Insights, there are more than 17 billion Internet-connected devices in the world (versus 8 billion people), and this number is predicted to reach nearly 30 billion by 2030.
Perform a digital detox for a few hours every day. Spend a day each week with as little exposure to consumer electronics and the Internet as possible. Unplug, power down, disconnect, and step away from everything electronic.
Misinformation
The term information society has been used since the 1970s, and it is more appropriate for our modern lives than ever before. The Edge Delta website reports that 337,080 petabytes of data were created and circulated daily in 2023.
Just one petabyte of data is the equivalent of 500 billion pages of text.
You are assaulted by a massive amount of information each day. Anyone can create a website or join a social media site and share information. Much of that information is incorrect. People can say and do anything, and information is seldom verified before it is passed on to unwitting receivers.
Don’t believe everything you see or hear online. Refrain from assuming everyone is honest or knows what they are talking about. Take what you find with a grain of salt. Invest in research before you act on information to minimize its negative impact.
