While it seems natural that most Americans would want access to updated and continuous information through their devices - smartphones, personal computers, and tablets - it’s also unsurprising that most respondents associated stress with the different kinds of information they receive.
This data set makes sense considering Levitin’s definitional work. Fifty-six percent of respondents reported higher levels of stress caused by governmental agencies, schools, and banks because of the information gathering processes associated with them. The survey found that certain circumstances - and even certain institutions - can be what trigger the effects of overload. According to a Pew Research Center survey titled “Information Overload,” 79% of respondents found that access to many kinds of information gave them a sense of control over their lives. The combination of limited attention and seeking originality is problematic in our modern context where rapid exposure to information is ubiquitous through easy access to electronic devices and social media.ĭespite the brain’s problematic disposition, brain overload isn’t guaranteed to happen because of an excess of information. The mind has a limited capacity for attending to information at any given time and is inclined toward novelty in its environment. Levitin contextualized this when he stated that multitasking to the point of brain fatigue leads to “a depleted state in which, after making lots of insignificant decisions, we can end up making truly bad decisions about something important.” The Causes of Information Overloadīrain overload stems from a variety of factors, each of which arises from taking in new information. In addition to the neurological consequences of overload, the psychological effects are just as severe. Because multitasking “has been found to increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol as well as the fight-or-flight hormone adrenaline,” the human brain is simultaneously overloaded and overstimulated. The resulting cognitive overload, according to Levitin’s work, has serious physiological effects on the brain. These unending distractions come out of a continuously updating information stream primarily from online communication and social media.
“This uncertainty wreaks havoc with our rapid perceptual categorization system, causes stress, and leads to decision overload.” The human brain, in other words, is in a state of constant distraction. He wrote that information excess springs from the human indecision to prioritize tasks and activities. Levitin - a neuroscientist whose research focuses on the intersection of technology, addiction, and productivity - attributed information overload to the amount of multitasking we do in today’s digital age. The foremost researcher on the topic, Daniel J. To find a viable solution to the growing problem, it’s important to focus on the root causes of information overload.īrain overload, otherwise known as information overload, can be unpacked in a variety of ways. We rely on a constant flow of new information, and because of that, brain overload has become an undeniable issue for many.
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