December 27, 2007
Problem of the Year 2008 Will Be Information Overload
According to research group Basex Inc., rather than name a product or person of the year, they decided to forecast "information overload" as problem of the year for 2008. Chief technology analyst Jonathan Spira, states that "it's too much information. It's too many interruptions. It's too much lost time, and always too much of a good thing." The researchers conclude that it might be better to think twice before you copy someone on an e-mail or hit "reply all." Such practices have made today's workers less productive,
Information overload isn't exactly new, but the problem has grown as technology increases societal expectations for instantaneous response. Having more information available, also means more time wasted looking for the right information, whether in an old e-mail or through a search engine.
Workers get disoriented every time they stop what they are doing to reply to an e-mail or answer a follow-up phone call because they didn't reply within minutes. The researchers said that workers can spend 10 to 20 times the length of the original interruption trying to get back on track. It is estimated that such disruptions cost the U.S. economy $650 billion in 2006.
The study suggests a number of recommendations: Resist the urge to immediately follow up an e-mail with an instant message or phone call. Make sure the subject line clearly reflects the topic and urgency of an e-mail. And use "reply all" sparingly.
Source: Wired