Infomania alert! – Perils of Information Overload

Progress in information technology has been a boon to mankind. Granted.

There’s no doubt that it has bought in stupendous changes in the way we live, work and relate to each other.

But there’s a dark side to it too. While on one hand the Internet has enabled us to communicate instantly and ceaselessly across the globe, it has also driven people to become obsessed with information.

“Infomania” is a word coined by researchers to describe the habit of frequently checking text messages and emails. Many believe that this obsession is having a detrimental effect on the IQ of those afflicted. Some psychologists even state that continuous tapping on a computer keyboard or mobile keypad can temporarily reduce IQ by 10 points.

Compare this with marijuana, which may reduce the IQ by just 4 points.

This drop in IQ due happens because such people are constantly distracted by incoming mails and messages. They scatter their concentration on jobs other than what they are supposed to be doing. Their productivity is diminished because they exhaust their mind by constantly jumping between work and messages.

This is aggravated by the constant state of readiness. Employees have been observed to check mails and messages and reply to them even when they are taking a break. This can be highly detrimental in the long run. Unless people make a conscious effort to stop overloading themselves with information, they are going to get trapped in a vicious circle.

And since this a very modern affliction, nobody knows how it affects the human mind and personality. Whatever little we know is not very encouraging. It has already been observed that those who regularly answer mails and messages during meetings frequently act rude with their colleagues.

The only way out of this quagmire is to be aware of the damages of the “always on” syndrome… and to make a personal commitment to focus on the work at hand, setting fixed times for checking and answering messages and mails.

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