Information Overload a Fact of Modern Life
by admin • December 2, 2011 • On Culture
Communication saturation is a part of daily life in 21st century America. So many communications channels, so much information, so little time. Author Richard Saul Wurman laid the problem out clearly in the 1990s with his book, “Information Anxiety.” Wurman’s book was loaded with interesting facts and information that put the problem in context. For example:
- A weekday edition of The New York Times contains more information than the average person was likely to receive in a lifetime in 17th century England.
- More new information has been produced in the last 30 years than the previous 5,000. The total of all printed knowledge doubles every year.
- In one year, the average person will read or complete 3,000 notices and forms, read 100 newspapers and 36 magazines, watch almost 2,500 hours of television, listen to 730 hours of radio, buy 20 recordings, talk on the telephone almost 61 hours and read three books.