Informational Overload

Just came back from biking from a cafe in Santa Monica at 1:30 in the morning. Went there to try to catch up on some reading. Came across an idea that is super interesting in the Economist: Informational Overload. (The irony of coming across the article about informational overload while trying to catch up on reading by cramming 10 back Economist issues).


"Information overload is the biggest irritation in modern life." 

This is so true. I check my facebook news feed way too often a day finding out way too much information about my friends' (or rather random people I've met once at a party) favorite dish at a place they checked into. I get inundated by blast emails at work, yoga deals on my personal email, car detailing special on my drive to work, not to mention the plethora of links whenever I google something.

According to the Economist, information overload raises stress levels and is bad for your health. I personally could care less about the two. The problem I have with information overload is that the more information I come across, the more I realize that I know nothing. I pride myself on being somewhat informed about life, the world, technology, current events, culture,  people, or whatever. However, the wealth of knowledge out there which is so easily accessible makes me think I should be way more informed than I am now. I seriously don't have the resources, time, or energy to be that informed. For me, the irritation comes from feeling inadequate of not knowing enough.