Chap 8: Overload & Attached to Technology Article

Summary 1:

Chapter 8 in Born Digital focuses on information overload. The billions of gigabytes produced digitally through blogs, websites, and other services each year is astounding. The overload has resulted in some negative effects in people such as cases of "internet addiction" where several people died after nonstop playing of online games. It has become so serious that a few countries even have "video game rehab" facilities. Despite that, there is still a debate as to whether it is a real addiction. Other negative effects, specifically in children, include increased cholesterol and heart rate, reduced attention span, migraines, restlessness, poor decision making, and more. Also, the ever so common digital methods of communication like texting and chatting can put strains on relationships. Some factors that lead to information overload include the organizational setup of a company or school, the complexity of tasks and information, the never-ending technologies available, and one's skills and motivation. Apparently, it is inevitable so people should learn coping strategies. Some helpful things that people subconsiously do already include printing out the specific information that they need, ignoring information that does not apply to them, and sticking with a small number of familiar websites instead of visiting a bunch daily. Children have been known to "chunk" information which is when they group it into one shape then shrink or enlarge it depending on what is needed. Some of the best methods of finding specific information on the internet are search engines, RSS (Really Simple Syndication), and the recommendation systems on various sites.  The one potential problem however with the filtering of information is that people may filter too much information and deprive themselves of varying viewpoints and debates. Ways parents and teachers can help with information overload include talking to their children about it, monitoring their computer usage, and leading by example.

Summary 2:

Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price

By Matt Richtel

Kord Campbell, like many people in this digital society, is consumed by technology. Bombarded with emails, IM's, and chats on three monitors, he skipped over an email with a very important million dollar proposition for his career. Luckily he was able to still accept it. Campbell's attachment to technology that provides him with information affects him and his family. Due to excess multitasking, he is seperated at dinner, on vacation, and once he forgot to pick up his children from school. Scientists have found that heavy multitasking has a negative effect on one's focus and ability to determine what information is important. Eyal Ophir did a study to test whether the human brain can process more than one thing at a time. A group of heavy multitaskers and a group of average or non- multitaskers had to look at a screen with red rectangles and focus on which one moved while also ignoring the blue rectangles scattered throughout. The heavy multitaskers struggled with this as they could not filter out the unnecessary blue rectangles. This proves that multitaskers are more receptive to new information. On a different note, studies have shown that internet users and gamers have increased brain activity, reaction time, and sense for details.  So there's always going to be a good and bad side to everything.


What Surprised Me?

The one thing I found shocking was the seriousness of internet addiction. The fact that there are rehab centers for it is disturbing. I really wonder how people get to that point and if it is going to become more common in the future.

Ponder This...

What do you think are the benefits rather than the negatives of having countless information readily available to us due to technology?