Newsweek magazine published an article recently about the physical, mental, and emotional stress that we are experiencing due to the amount of information that is coming in nonstop. I think that you will be able to relate to this article from a personal standpoint. I also believe you will see the implications for elementary education as well as life-long learning. Click on the picture to access the article. I would like you to share your thoughts by commenting on the article.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Too Much Information
Newsweek magazine published an article recently about the physical, mental, and emotional stress that we are experiencing due to the amount of information that is coming in nonstop. I think that you will be able to relate to this article from a personal standpoint. I also believe you will see the implications for elementary education as well as life-long learning. Click on the picture to access the article. I would like you to share your thoughts by commenting on the article.
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12 comments:
I have been thinking a lot about this lately. I even discussed it with Paula the other day. I am a 'news junkie', I tend to check it throughout the day and watch a lot of it in the evening. World events like the Mid-East and now the earthquake in Japan really get me watching. With the addition of lap tops and smart phones it means I can know what is happening in real time all the time. I thought that would be great! I am now discovering this in NOT. I have begun to find myself getting stressed about things that are out of my control and worrying about things that have yet to be decided, ie: the state budget cuts. So per the article I am going to begin to turn my smart phone off when I get home in the evenings and go back to peaceful dinners and outside play time!
@ Lisa: I think your post is funny becuase this morning when we were talking with Scott, I didn't know about either event he was talking about. I guess that is because my life with 2 young kids is so busy, that I rarely watch TV (if it's on, it's not my choice) or get to read the news. I am usually updated with news via the yahoo! homepage. I have noticed one change in my life over the past 2 weeks. I decided to not use facebook anymore. I deleted nearly everything off it, keeping it just to be able to see my cousins and close family's pictures. I haven't logged in, and I must say - my life has really been more peaceful. I have no idea what anyone is doing, or what they are upset about - thus, no stress on me. However, on a different note and for a little added stress, who else has family/friends that ask them "do you think you will have a job next year with all these cuts?" .. ugh..And, as with everything else, most things are out of our control, so I'm trying to just worry about things that are important and I can control :) Well, spring break is finally here, so it's time for everyone to unwind.
As for the social apps and your phone...I suggest you try it - delete apps off your phone that are taking time away from your family and making you crazy and see how you feel!! lol
I am about to forward this article to my sister who just gave up Facebook for Lent. She says that people have told her she is crazy but that it was consuming way too much of her time. It IS exhausting sometimes picking up my iphone and checking it every 10 minutes just to make sure I haven't missed any texts or emails. I like what Lisa and Kim said about turning it OFF when I get home and listening to my family without the little voice in the back of my head asking, "Have you checked your iPhone?"
I've recently dealt with the overflux of info. My hubby & I are planning a trip to Vegas. At first glance there were 100's of hotel deals that came up on the internet. So we talked about what we liked last time we were there & narrowed it down to 4 hotels we wanted to stay in, I did more internet shopping, & asked for opinions. Man, it was overwhleming! All the info that's out there & everyone seemed to have something to say. We weren't sure what to do until we narrowed down our choices.~DeeDra
Interesting...I decided to look at this article before I left school so that it could "percolate" for a while before I responded. Imagine my surprise when I started reading. I'm still going to let it percolate, but I wanted to make that comment now.
I'm so glad that my emotions are a positive when making decisions. I say that because sometimes my emotions get in the way but I like what the article had to say, "If emotions are shut out of the decision-making process, we're likely to overthink a decision and that has been shown to produce worse outcomes on even the simplest tasks." My husband is a data head, he is actually very gifted in this but he is also very slow in making decisions sometimes to a fault, but this article makes me realize he is using his gift wisely. However, many times you will hear me say to him, "Do I really need to know this. That's just too much information. If you'll give me a summary I can digest it."
@FB, I had a friend that FBing almost ruined her marriage and family so I have been very cautious with the use of FB, but I can see how easily one could get caught up in it's tentacles.
Scott, good read but there was a lot of info.
Jennifer Lass
It was a long read, especially on your phone. This article gives us a chance to learn more about our co-workers. I have no Facebook and sometimes I feel left out, but I don't want the extra stress that seems to come along with it. Now that I have an iPhone, I do seem to waste more time playing iPhone games, but you could consider that as Sharpening the Saw.
More support for not getting too wrapped up in technology. I had been thinking about getting a cell phone, but maybe my decision not to have one is best after all. How's a person to decide? But, on a more serious note, I do think many wiser decisions are made on an unconscious level, but I prefer to believe that it's the still, small voice of God giving me direction.
I found this article interesting and I enjoyed reading the comments of my co-workers. I have noticed that when I do check my Facebook, which is not that often and even less often that I post something, that some comments I read are people telling everyone how great their lives are. I’m happy for you and it is fun to see new pictures, but it does make me question if you are posting every five minutes how are you really enjoying this great life that you are so busy telling everyone about? I say put down the phone/computer and actually live this great life you keep posting about! My personal challenge is to put the phone down and not text when I am home with my babies. I want to cherish every moment that I have with my family. There will always be bad news, and scary things that are happening, but there will not always be a wonderful 4 and 2 year old that want nothing more than to have their mommy’s attention! Keeping life simple is a good rule of thumb.
Juli Stanford
Maybe all of this information we face is nothing more than competition...??? We are faced with this and that so often that we feel the need to share our triumphs as well! Facebook is merely an avenue for some to brag and others to evesdrop!
On another note, and off my soapbox, I found it interesting that the cure all for this is to read your email and texts in chunks! I often receive emails that require me to respond quickly to receive Kudos or a prize! Is this supporting the theory behind the article? Hummmmm..... I will let it percolate for a while! :)
I agree Ginny! We have become a very competitive society with a great desire for instant gratification. The question is does the use of technology meet those desires or do we have those desires as a result of technology?
Yes, this is a good article. Aside from how much time we can waste on Facebook and cell phones, I am wondering how this instantaneous information affects schooling. For instance, will our TAKS/STAAR technology objectives continue to grow? Do we have testing and TEKS overload partly because the world is overloaded with technology and access to information? I never thought about it until now. It can be frustrating sometimes to hear a kid say, "Slow down, I don't get it." But those moments also give us an opportunity to reflect on what we are trying to teach, how we are teaching it, and why.
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