A Harvard Business Review study found that 80% of people feel overwhelmed by the constant flow of information.
A survey of U.S. adults found 67% feel overwhelmed by their email inboxes and 82% miss crucial emails because of too many messages in their inboxes.
Recommended Videos
In the workforce, 25% of workers experience significant stress and poor health due to information overload.
With so many tabs open in your brain, you might need some critical ignoring.
Critical ignoring is the ability to choose what to ignore and where to invest one’s limited attentional capacities.
One way to train your brain to critically ignore is to learn how to lateral read. The average person consumes four articles, or 8,200 words daily. Instead, focus your time on quality. Take one article and research the organization or person behind it before reading it.
Next, limit the temptation to consume information. You can set time limits on your social media or notifications. Apps like Barrier or Freedom can help you restrict your time online.
And do not feed the trolls! These people deliberately post comments online to upset others. They thrive on attention and spreading misinformation. Do not respond directly to trolls; do not correct them or engage in debate.
And remember, in an era of constant connection, the greatest challenge may be finding moments of disconnection.
Other online harassment terms you may hear, Flooding, Sealioning and ‘just asking questions’ also known as JAQing. If you hear any of those new vocab words, the best thing to do is to ignore it.