If there's anything we can learn from the popular Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma," it's that social media benefits from keeping you on their platforms. you'll find interesting and try to keep you there by showing you more of it.
For example, if you like or share a lot of videos about Paris, social media will offer you even more content about Paris (and often a few cheap train tickets). Between the videos and posts, you'll see ads, which social media channels then monetize. This can be useful, but it can also have negative consequences.
You can end up in a filter bubble where you read a lot of one-sided information. This makes it harder to form a balanced opinion based on different sources. Algorithms also play a role in spreading fake news, because they can't distinguish between fact and fiction. So how do you outsmart those algorithms?
Leave less data behind by installing an adblocker or anti-tracker. mobile database Check veiliginternetten.nl for available tools and browse anonymously using the DuckDuckGo search engine .
Maintain a critical eye: seek out the other side of the story by reading multiple news channels or newspapers and following different organizations or people than usual. Choose news from the news websites themselves over social media.
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You can never take in all the information (and that's a good thing)
You watch the news, read the newspaper, watch documentaries, talk to other people… In short, you know what's going on in the world. These different information channels keep you more connected to reality, to the status quo.
Research has long known that the human brain thrives on novelty and is wired to constantly seek it out. When too much new information is available, the brain becomes overloaded as it tries to process it while simultaneously searching for more. Technology has developed much faster than the physical evolution of our brains, which we use to decipher that technology.
A constant stream of information leads to elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can lead to confusion, memory loss, and restlessness. In other words, when it comes to information, less can definitely be more !
If it's not so easy to turn off…
Journalists, communications professionals, government officials, doctors, scientists, and many other people are finding it harder to cut back on news consumption because their work requires them to stay informed. Not only in these sectors, but generally, there's an expectation that every email will be answered. For many, this is happening while they're (still) juggling work and personal responsibilities from home.
Even though current events are a major part of your work, it's still important to set limits on the amount of information you consume. You can do this, for example, by automatically separating the wheat from the chaff in your inbox with the SaneBox app. Or you can establish a personal policy that all email replies are five sentences or less. It can also be helpful to check in with colleagues in similar roles to support each other.
This is how companies can help
Although many companies still deny the problem of information overload , they can play a significant role in reducing it. This can be achieved through technological means, such as flagging urgent emails, and by implementing a cultural shift that establishes clear agreements regarding electronic communication.
Consider the post rather than push method: placing non-urgent internal emails with newsletters or announcements on a company intranet, thereby attracting people seeking information rather than having it forced upon them.
All in all, quite a bit of information to protect yourself against… oops, information. Do you have any other tips?
