The Evolution of Information Overload
People often use terms of addiction like “binge-watching” television shows or being a self-proclaimed “workaholic” in a light-hearted, joking manner to address their obsessions. But, there is always truth in jest. Through observation of the world today, in comparison with just hundreds of years ago, the amount of information to which we have access is alarmingly greater. Interestingly enough, there has always been concern regarding consumption. The 17th century saw a lot of advice about how people could manage their book collections. Even then, people felt overwhelmed by the amount of information they were consuming. A result of this was the rise of new organizational systems for making consumption easier, further encouraging new advances in technology. Despite apparent distaste toward certain advances in technology, it seemed that people had no choice but to participate in the rapidly evolving world. In the 19th century, with the invention of the printing press, a reduction in postal cost increased the ability to connect and consume. In our world, the medium is the message… and, the message changes. By that, I mean that new forms of information lead to both anxieties and optimism about what we read and watch; the information has agency over us. Amidst these anxieties, how we engage with info also changes what we notice - and, as we’ll see, alters the kind of info that's produced and shared.
Attention is a finite resource that everyone - employers, advertisers, you - wants more of. With advances in technology which have allowed us to have access to more information than ever before, there is an exponential increase in competition for attention. Our connection to our devices has become all-encompassing of the way we live our lives. From watching TV in our free-time, to using our computers for work, to maintaining relationships through our phones, the way the world works has addicted us to our screens. This is the way the economy is run, how we function in society. Simply surviving requires this kind of behavior. Whether we like it or not, technology runs our lives. David Foster Wallace was a TV fan, and he also recognized its addictive potential, saying that it “causes problems AND offers relief for the problems it causes”. I think this is a perfect summary of our digital age, and the competition for our attention. In one moment, we could feel defeated and insecure because our ex posted their new job promotion on LinkedIn, and in the next moment, apply to ten jobs and read an article about how to save money. This interesting push and pull of the nature of modern society essentially leaves us with no choice but to be completely addicted to technology, in every sense of the word.
The jargon used in our everyday lives has even altered to accept - and even encourage - our addiction to technology. The term “binge-watching”, pioneered by Netflix, has become a widely recognizable phrase, even before streaming existed. Now, with features like “auto-play”, used by Netflix and other streaming services, the issue of “choice” becomes an even greater dilemma. It has become almost irresistible to not watch “just one more episode”. Screens have a level of agency over us that is only increasing with advances in technology. In the next post, we will discuss the implications of this issue, and how these habits have been influenced by our reliance on immediate gratification.