Too Much Information
How to Deal with Too Much Information
According to the 2003 report from SIMS, School of Information Management Systems at UC Berkeley, the amount of information each person deals with has more than TRIPLED in the last three years! The SIMS report, “How much information?” quantifies the radical growth of information in the world, as well as the sources and storage of information. So if you’ve been feeling that this information torrent is rapidly increasing—you’re right!
This may explain that feeling you’ve been having that leads to that frustrating feeling, “How do I deal with all this??!”
Take a first step at looking at your personal information load. What’s your share of information involvement? Take a look at the whole picture: at home, at work, at school and in research.
Right now, take a moment to put a check mark next to the sources of information that you use on a daily or weekly basis.
• Search email
• Watch TV
• Listen to radio
• Read newspaper
• Talk with friends
• Answer pager
• Talk on the phone
• Watch films
• Read office documents
• Read magazines
• Read periodicals
• Read mail
• Read advertising offers
• Read credit card offers
• Read books
• Look at photos
• Listen to CD’s
• Watch DVD’s
Use the Internet and online services to:
• Query search engines
• Research product purchases
• Research areas of interest
• Read ads
• Check pop-up news
• Enter sweepstakes
• Look for medical/health information
• Visit reference sites
• Download software
• Use internet yellow pages
• Read daily newspapers
• Check local/city guides
• Evaluate travel deals
• Play online games
• Look for job or career information
• Evaluate purchases
• Use instant messaging
• Document review: preparing for meetings
• Read notes during meetings
• Preview or review handouts
• Look at PowerPoint presentations
Now What?
Review your list. It’s OK. Take a deep breath. You’ve been busy, haven’t you? Think about one area where, without negatively impacting your job and your life, you could reduce your information load. What is one step that you can take today to reduce your information load?
Review this list tomorrow, and again in a few days. You may find that you have a different perspective or answer each time you look at it. Ask friends or colleagues what they do to reduce their information intake. You’re likely to learn interesting new habits and practices that you can apply to your information consumption.
Take This With You:
Pick one area to reduce your information exposure. Start small to achieve success. Cut back by five or ten minutes at a time.
Find out what you can do to manage information overload. You have better options than feeling exhausted from “just too much.” Get your personal guide today of “Design Yourself.“ You’ll find field-tested visual mapping techniques to manage information overwhelm and find stress relief.
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