We live in an age that has a ton of information, but so much of it can be false. We can do research only to find that the source isn’t reliable, or isn’t possible to discover where it came from. How can we treasure knowledge when there is so much babbling going on?
Search for multiple sources, not just the ones we agree with. It is better to get divergent opinions than to seek comfort in information that we agree with.
Be humble. Pride keeps us from learning anything new.
Be a lifelong learner. There is too much information and new discoveries to remain at the same level of knowledge when we were in high school and college.
Know the difference between facts and opinions. Anyone can babble an opinion. And anyone can interpret facts. But what are the facts?
Knowledge is worth pursuing in any field. It can end up being quite a treasure.
This week has been filled with information. It’s taken TMI (Too Much Information) to a new level! Newsday has an article entitled, Coronavirus Conundrum: How Much Information is Too Much Information?In it, the article states the predicament public officials find themselves in.
“The excessive communication [public officials broadcast] is exacerbated by the environment we’re in… But it’s unavoidable because of the modalities of communication now. If they don’t fill up the space, the space will be filled up by rumor, misinformation, and speculation.”
Officials feel they need to get the information out. Twenty-four-hour cable news networks have news and opinions to give. Everybody has to get their opinion out there. And some opinions are treated as fact without any evidence. Conspiracy theories abound about the origins of the disease and how it’s now being handled. It’s enough to make you want to disinfect your smartphone from the inside as well as the exterior!
But now it’s Saturday. We made it to the weekend. Take a deep breath and step away from all the information. It will be all right. Even if you are reading this on a weekday, it’s okay to step away from all the news right now. Don’t worry. It will all be waiting for you when you get back. Besides, if it’s really important, someone will probably want to discuss it with you. But be careful. If someone claims this virus was caused by space aliens that want to buy Manhattan high-rises at bargain prices, you may want to reevaluate your news source.
Like many of us, I have a bad case of FOMO: Fear of Missing Out. I like to be in the know. After all, if I am going to blog anything, I need to have information, right? If I am going to write about a business trend or positive philosophy, I need to be in the know, right?
Copyright Kevin Spear
My wife kids me when I get alerts for Twitter accounts I follow. I get breaking news alerts for the latest doom and gloom news. Occasionally, I need to put my phone on “Do Not Disturb” in order to break my train of thought. Even then, it is too easy for that thought train to derail and spill my brain granules all across the landscape.
In the pre Internet years, we had information gatekeepers in the form of editors and television producers. They sorted through all the junk for the public. Now, anybody with a phone can be an information provider. In one alert, I see news about a homicide, SWAT standoff or traffic travesty. The next moment, I get an alert about twenty surly kittens that will make you laugh your socks off. Even if I was doing nothing at the time, that is quite a whiplash of discordant information!
I know! Just the fact that I am writing a blog contributes to this tsunami. My goal is to contribute positively and be an encouragement in a negative world. Still, Here is one more town crier attempting to make his voice heard above the crowded field.
So here is for myself and for others that are feeling the same information wave overtake them.
Take a breath and relax. While there is always something going on in the world, I don’t have to be aware of everything. If it is important, I’ll hear about it sooner or later.
I don’t have to be the first one in my circle to hear breaking news. Let someone else have FOMO while I am getting things done.
I will be discerning in my information consumption. If I am getting down because of a series of bad news, I need to either get away from the news or find some good, uplifting stories.
FOMO and bad news can affect my productivity. I choose to have more than a Breaking News! perspective.
We face a constant battle each day to either control the content in our lives or let it control us. We are not facing a scarcity of information. On the contrary, we face a flood of information each day. We have to consider whether the information we receive is fact or opinion, accurate or made-up. And even if it is factual and accurate, we need to consider whether this is helping us or not. Does it put us in the right frame of mind? Does it help us start the day on a good, right footing, or just put us in despair?
It is tempting to just grab the phone and let the tsunami of information flood us. But remember, we have the control. We can choose how much and what information we consume. Otherwise, we may need a sign that says, “I have a smartphone. Please help me!”
Cartoon of a frustrated woman tossing her smartphone. She says, “Stop giving me so much information!”
One morning, while I was watching Captain Kangaroo, a television ad came on the old picture tube. This was in the 1970’s, mind you. It said, “More information is being gathered each week than in all the previous years before 1970. It was complaining about how we were drowning in information.
I heard a stat the other day from Matt McKee. He said thanks to social media, more content is being created every hour than in all the content created between the dawn of time and 1950.
That isn’t to say it’s all good content. I have my fill of cute puppy and crazy kitten videos. Maybe it is too much information. I keep wanting to yell, “TMI! TMI!” at my smartphone, don’t you?
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