What Is Information Overload?

We are sometimes our own worst enemies. We consciously or subconsciously self-sabotage, keeping us from completing our bucket lists. Likewise, we desire one thing but do the opposite. We prove this whenever we click on the television or snatch our smartphone when we know we should be doing something else.

We have become sponges that greedily absorb information, craving sensory input. Look around you, at home, at work, and play. How many television and computer monitors are there? You may be hearing multiple audio sources, and your eyes are trying to process several visual distractions simultaneously.

Your conscious mind handles sensory input. It is not as capable of processing information as the subconscious mind, so it can quickly become overloaded. Your senses of taste, touch, and smell also deal with input from your environment, further overwhelming your conscious sensory processing system.

What are the dangers of information overload? Experiencing TMI (too much information) can quickly lead to the following symptoms.

• High levels of stress and anxiety
• Difficulty focusing and concentrating
• Irritability and frustration
• Panic attacks
• Emotional outbursts
• Inability to process information correctly
• Difficulty making decisions
• Restlessness
• Social withdrawal
• Mental meltdowns and burnout
• Trouble sleeping
• Physical discomfort, including headaches, nausea, tense muscles, elevated heart rate, dizziness, and sweating

Those are serious symptoms that shouldn’t be taken lightly. While we are sometimes the source of the problem, our modern world is also doing everything it can to bog down our conscious mind with input it receives from our senses. That can lead to mental overwhelm and an inability to perform simple functions.

Defining Information Overload

Information overload is a self-descriptive term. The brain is overloaded with information that is received by your sensory network. Your senses automatically and continuously process your environment. They have no filters and send any input they receive straight to your brain.

An overabundance of information can overwhelm your conscious mind. It must decide whether to pay attention to or discard this information, which can result in the development of the mental and physical symptoms we just discussed.

While information overload can occur via any of your senses, it is largely a visual and audible experience in today’s constantly plugged-in, turned-on, and connected world. Minimizing exposure to computers, cell phones, tablets, gaming systems, televisions, and other consumer electronics devices is a smart first step toward avoiding information overload and its unwelcome side effects.