Information Overload
Like last week, there’s only one link this week. However, I found the topic discussed in the podcast highly entertaining and enlightening. I hope you enjoy the listen and become less overwhelmed by information.
What I’ve Heard:
Infomagical | Note To Self
This project by WNYC’s Note To Self explores the consequences of information overload and how to manage the data absorbed in this digital age. The series starts with an introduction of “infomania” and how it affects our daily lives. The following episodes offer small challenges to combat this creep of information and distractions. My favorites from the series are “Magical Phone” and “Magical Life.”
Magical Phone" focuses on cleaning up the cellphone home screen, making it less cluttered. The idea stems from Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, but applied to the digital realm. This was an idea I thought about and wanted to write on but I guess I was beat to the punch again. My home screen isn’t completely clear but I did reduce the number of icons from 12 to 8. I felt that the change did break the mindless habit of jumping from one app to another.
“Magical Life” wraps up the series and offers a few suggestions on how to sustain the “infomagical” lifestyle. The host, Manoush Zomorodi, implores the listeners to create a simple rule that will remind them of the project. Her own guideline, which I stole and posted under my computer monitor, reads, “Think more about what you read.” It’s a short sentence but one that reminds me to take the time to process what I’m actually reading. It also helps me develop more thought out ideas and brings clarity to my writing.
The introductory episode is 25 minutes long and each challenge ranges from 8 to 15 minutes. They are relatively short listens but if you are crunched for time, I recommend the two I listed above.