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Information Overload No Problem For Most Americans: Survey (reuters.com)

Posted by msmash on from the information-glut dept.

About 20 percent of American adults feel the burden of information overload, with that figure at least doubling among those from poorer or less educated backgrounds, Pew Research Center said in a new report. Reuters adds: "Generally, Americans appreciate lots of information and access to it," said the report into how U.S. adults cope with information demands. Roughly four in five Americans agree that they are confident about using the internet to keep up with information demands, that a lot of information gives them a feeling of more control over their lives, and that they can easily determine what information is trustworthy. Americans who are 65 or older, have a high school diploma or less and earn less than $30,000 a year are more likely to say they face a glut of information. Eighty-four percent of Americans with online access through three sources -- home broadband, smartphone and tablet computer -- say they like having so much information available. By contrast, 55 percent of those with no online source felt overwhelmed by the amount of possible information.

4 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Obligatory xkcd by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    http://xkcd.com/1227/

  2. Not surprising at all by Dutchmaan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's no problem because Americans are becoming increasingly comfortable with cherry picking their preferred "information" and discarding the rest, and critical thinking is considered "PC" and thus shunned.

  3. I doubt it by Nunya666 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    According to TFS, "Roughly four in five Americans agree that ... they can easily determine what information is trustworthy."

    Considering how many Americans only use their computers to access Facebook and email, that "4 out of 5" claim seems unlikely. What seems more likely is that "4 out of 5 Americans have no idea what information is trustworthy because they get said information from social media."

  4. Re:What is pushed aside? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ok..well, the civility has broken down greatly over the past 20 years or so...

    By every measurable criteria, the opposite has happened. Crime has gone down. Violent crime has gone down even more. Formerly marginalized groups are doing better.

    That and parents not raising their kids to respect others over the past 30 years...

    Can you point to any actual evidence that kids today are less respectful than they were in 1986?