Is information Plethora as dangerous as Junk Food?

How many of us have at least felt that at leastfor a few minutes we are not able to think with clarity of at least focus on the present after a google search

We all have got into the habit of using the internet for making choices,gettinginformation,taking decisions etc .But Information overload is something different

“Information overload is the state of feeling overwhelmed by the volume of information to the point at which one feels more confused than knowledgeable about a particular topic. Information overload can transform itself as brain fog and hinder our decision making ability .”

In general, information overload is the kind of stress you feel when you consume more information than you can “digest” (and more than it is needed to make a decision).

Theoretically, having so much information at our fingertips might sound good . It should help us make informed and smart choices. In reality, it seems to do more harm than good.

Whether we accept or not, consuming too much information affects you in many different ways. Below are some of them:

Moments of indecision

Consuming large volumes of information tires our mind. Making decision is an energy-consuming process. When your brain is tired from processing too much information at one time, the last thing it needs is another energy-consuming process like decision-making. Imagine yourself shopping for your favourite outlet and compare it to online shopping most time even post purchase it leaves you with the other one was better syndrome That’s why even minor decisions such as which colour t-shirt to pick or which course to pursue can feel so challenging when you’re overloaded with information.

Anxiety

Scientists call it “information anxiety.” Simply put, it is the feeling we get as a result of being unable to interpret large volumes of data or find that particular piece of information we are looking for. Apart from information anxiety, which is very specific, information overdose can also aggravate anxiety one is already feeling. If we take information overload for what it is– a source of stress–it all starts to make sense.

C) The power of videos

If it was 1 image is equal to thousand words for this generation it would be 1 video for 10000 images. Nobody can dispute the power of videos. Good thing about videos are that the efforts taken for a video can be distributed to develop content for text, blogs, Facebook or even rip the audio to fit into your next audio podcast.

SO now from a simple ad video we stand at options like Live Videos,1:1 videos or a 360 content

Overload of information makes it harder to focus.

According to experts, information overload takes a toll on concentration and focus. When there is more information in our head than we can effectively process, our brain starts to rush from one idea to another. Think of it as a form of mental multitasking that makes your brain jump from one thought to another. As you might have guessed, this state of mind does nothing to help with focus and concentration.

Critical thinking skills become impaired.

If you consume way too much information, it becomes harder to distinguish between high-quality and poor-quality content. The outcomes can be dramatic. If you stop questioning the trustworthiness of information you consume, it becomes a lot easier to be manipulated. Things like fake news, phishing, and scams flourish exactly for that reason — because we forget to think critically at precisely the time that doing so is most important.

Handling Information Overload?

You can feel irritated, brain fog, anxious or even experience emotional fatigue.

There are two kinds of irrelevant information you get cute pictures of puppies, inspirational quotes and at the same time disturbing content both will have different effect to the emotional state you are in But as you keep scrolling the more involuntary the process becomes without any purpose or direction.

a) Keep a time out for all online activities

Always remember that consuming too much information is as dangerous as consuming junk food the latter tastes nice at least this one confuses and drains your energy

How to help yourself from Information Overload?

b)keep a check on the amount of information you consume

Unless you are into research on a subject or trying to save the world from a major disaster or helping someone to save his life keep a basic checklist on the number of information of data that you refer for a subject. A google search would deliver billions (or perhaps trillions )of search results focus on what you require and hit the exit button

c)Engage yourself with Nature.

Its perhaps the most simplest one to follow yet at times the lease preferred ones these days due to our involvement ins the virtual world just shut down and go for awalk, take a nature stroll, hike a hill or cycle to a stream nearby and if all this is not feasible try watering your pot in the balcony. Nature has a sorting effect which nothing else can replace Just close your eyes and immerse in the emotion

To conclude consuming junk or irrelevant information could render your free thinking impaired and also fatigued.