The communication era, along with the concept of the Global Village, is frequently touted as the pinnacle of information diffusion, offering unprecedented access to a vast array of knowledge. Unlike our predecessors, who lived in an environment characterized by limited information availability, we have an abundance of easily accessible data. ---- However, even in times before the advent of computers and the internet, the paradox "too much information equals no information" was well-known. The excessive amount of available data can hinder our ability to locate relevant information, generating a sense of overwhelm and decision paralysis, particularly when it comes to making important decisions. This information overload can lead to frustration and have negative effects on our cognitive abilities, affecting our way of thinking, learning, and perceiving reality.
The "speed" factor further exacerbates this paradox. Despite being accustomed to dealing with a wealth of information, we often fail to realize how its speed of dissemination affects our relationship with it. While computers surpass our capabilities in certain tasks, speed itself can be an obstacle and even a blocking factor. Anyone who has searched the Internet knows that the results often far exceed our ability to process them.
The information revolution, which has also radically transformed the communications sector, has made an immense amount of information available, and at an increasingly rapid rate. Major news sites are constantly updated with real-time content and sometimes feature timelines that illustrate the minute-by-minute evolution of a significant event. The speed of news dissemination is considered essential to maintaining users' attention and interest. One important statistic that can be deduced from server reports is the average time a user spends on a specific web page. A longer time spent on a page corresponds to greater exposure to advertising.
When information is transmitted at slower speeds, it remains manageable, within certain limits. However, as speed increases, we find ourselves immersed in a kind of temporal vortex, constantly bombarded by a relentless flow of new information. This phenomenon can instantly render newly acquired information obsolete.
Speed also has a significant impact when we encounter contradictions. Analyzing rapidly transmitted contradictory data is nearly impossible. We are easily influenced by the first data we receive, whether correct or incorrect, simply because it reaches our brain first. Speed poses a significant obstacle to fact checking, a process that requires time to distinguish useful information from worthless information.
Another negative effect is the influence that speed has on our decision-making process, causing us to shift from a reflective to a reactive approach. Without sufficient time for rational processing, a gut response is likely to prevail. While this reaction may be appropriate in emergency situations, such as the sudden need to brake to avoid a pedestrian, it is not necessarily the optimal solution in other contexts. The human brain, in fact, is more complex than an AI algorithm and processes information at variable speeds. Even if we are able to read a text quickly, the process of comprehension, verification, and memorization takes longer than the computer system that presented it.
We live in an era characterized by a relentless and rapid flow of a considerable amount of information, some of which is junk, making its effective processing increasingly difficult. The natural reaction would be to disconnect and devote oneself to more rewarding activities, rather than endlessly watching the news scroll by on a screen. This choice may be acceptable for individuals with little interest in cultivating interpersonal relationships or contributing to social change. In other cases, it is possible to adopt individual and collective strategies to mitigate the damage caused by the excessive speed of the information flow.
You can devote more time to reading, preferably in print, books, and in-depth articles on topics of interest, resisting the temptation to immediately conduct online research following a curiosity sparked by reading.
You can, for one or more days a week, abstain from checking your email, consulting your usual news sites, accessing your favorite social media, and turning off phone notifications. Although this is a complex and demanding undertaking, it is feasible to significantly reduce the number of information sources you use. Given the impossibility of reading everything, you should favor transparent sources that publicly correct any errors, prioritize in-depth analysis over "breaking news," and verify information before publication.
When dealing with a relevant but controversial topic, it is advisable to dedicate time to methodically and systematically exploring positions that are not immediately convincing, in order to avoid finding yourself in a situation of indecision between unclear alternatives.
One of the most widespread and persistent myths of the digital age is that of "multitasking," or the supposed ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. In the context of information, however, it is essential to focus attention on a single source at a time. Therefore, it is inadvisable to keep the television on or listen to a podcast while reading.
Even more complex, but equally important, would be to create collective environments that foster the slow circulation of information. It would also be useful to create discussion groups focused on in-depth analysis of specific topics, rather than the compulsive exchange of links, memes, and comments on the latest news.
Similarly, it would be necessary to develop networks that allow for the construction of collective "fact-checking" processes, not exclusively dependent on official websites, in order to overcome individual limitations and form a sort of "collective intelligence" to avoid drowning in the stormy sea of information.
Pepsy
https://umanitanova.org/la-velocita-che-ci-rallenta-nel-vortice-del-flusso-informativo/
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Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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