Info Overload or Too Much Talktime?

Malavika Sangghavi [Hope I got that spelling right] is on the editorial board of DNA and writes regularly in the newspaper. She is usually interesting to read since she approaches heavy subjects with a light air. Today she wrote about information overload and how the mind is getting cluttered with trivia and how she will never have any use of much of the information she gets. Many examples were quoted all very interesting. All the examples were those of what she thought were useless information - information which we will never use...

I think the it is not a question of information overload or trivia overload. The problem has to be looked at from the other side which is the demand side, only then we can explain the phenomenon of information overload.

What is the demand side of information overload? Simple.... we talk more, we communicate more and population is increasing rather fast hence you need more and more content to talk about everyday. "Information overload" just takes care of this demand.... No this is not a joke.

look at how much you talk everyday and compare this with your dad if you are a man and mom if you are a woman. millions of people are on the phone throughout the day quite literally, or in meeting, or chatting... What do they chat about? what do they talk about? My guess is that essential communication is less than one third of our total communication. So you need that extra bit of information to keep the conversation going 24x7..... I repeat, information overload just takes care of this demand side for information required to keep those phones ringing, faxes running, coffee shops and bars buzzing, living rooms lively and so on.

Keep talking...