Picked up a random poetry book From the crowded shelf. Quick easy hour read: Delight and wonder. Then, Found…
Information Overload: What to do when we are inundated with communication.
By Janelle Stear
November 14, 2018
Awareness: What is too much information?
Yesterday, one of Olivia’s 6th grade teachers sent her weekly check-in email to us parents. Within it was an invitation to join her Remind 101 class for text messaging reminders. I have used Remind before with students and appreciate the effectiveness it encourages, especially in helping students remember to complete and turn in assignments. Being a supportive parent, I joined the teacher’s program.
Then I told my husband I had joined, and he groaned loudly. “We already get a hundred emails a week from Powerschool, and each email has a thousand words. How are we supposed to keep anything straight? How does Olivia keep any of this straight?” He scoffed in frustration as I just tried to explain I wanted to help support the teacher. He continued, “I never said I don’t want to support the teacher. But there’s such a thing as notification overload.”
His comments made me think about the truth behind them. We are a society that is constantly bombarded by information, via television, social media, emails, etc. Twenty years ago I didn’t even have a cell phone. Now I live my life by it.
Then when I watch the news every so often, I am often disheartened to hear about another family tragedy, especially those involved with children. For a few years, I would not even watch the local news. Now I have started again, mostly because I feel my girls need to be aware about what is happening in our community.
How much information is too much?
Rebecca Michelsen, M.Ed., MCHES, Manager of Community Outreach & Family Programs at Penfield Children’s Center recommends these tips in maintaining a healthy balance between your family and information overload:
- “Don’t compare what is happening with you and your child to anyone else….
- Avoid ‘Googling’ health information and tips…
- Take a break from social media…The best thing that you can do, is to pay attention to basic information being shared, but not to let it consume you.”
I know that with mindfulness, I can establish healthy habits for my family. I appreciate emails I get from the kids’ teachers. Those are important. Emails that I get from advertisers? Not so much! When I signed up for different job search engines this past summer, my email inbox was constantly bombarded by emails and offers, mostly junk mail, because for some reason, advertisers and scammers find a way to link to everything you do online. I finally unsubscribed from many of the search engines to get rid of the spam. This shouldn’t be a problem, but since we are an internet driven society, it has become a problem.
Research shows children and adults are likely to get distracted on the internet.
Dr. Ehryn Weiss from the Houston Family Magazine, says, “With the Internet, we have access to an almost limitless amount of information. Kids can get stuck in the research phase when doing assignments because there always seems to be more information to be gathered. This can prevent kids from completing assignments, cause assignments to take longer to complete, or result in dissatisfaction with their work product (especially true of kids with perfectionist tendencies).” This is my eleven year old daughter exactly; she has even admitted to me she prefers to do her homework near me so she is not distracted on her computer.
Dr. Weiss Recommends: Plan Your Time.
- Do one thing at a time and be present in it;
- Take mini five-minute mindfulness breaks, e.g., go for a walk, do yoga, eat a healthy snack; Schedule an evening with your family away from the television, phones, and internet;
- Take a family vacation and find someone to cover for you at work so you are completely away, free to enjoy yourself without distractions.
The more we can disconnect from information overload, the more we can strengthen our relationships and improve our own personal self-esteem. In this way, we can prevent depression, anxiety, and low self-worth. Plus, our children watch and often imitate our behaviors as parents. Do you want your children developing the same habits of being addicted to their devices and not spending quality time together? “Based on the research that we make poorer decisions when our brains are overloaded, reducing information overload will also reduce the likelihood of making parenting decisions you will later regret” (Weiss). I for one remember my internet and cell phone free childhood fondly; I want my children to be free to be themselves without being so obsessed over the internet.
Take the Internet in Small Chunks.
Now I am not trying to say that the internet is bad for us. Some would say it is and we should avoid it at all cost. I love that the internet offers us options for finding information and for connecting with community resources for assistance. We just need to educate ourselves and our children on appropriate use for it. Scheduling internet, email, and social media in chunks at specific times of the day will drastically cut back on our information overloading. It will further help us be mindful about what we want to know and when we want to know it.
Here are some of my suggestions for avoiding information overload as a family:
- Keep an integrated family and personal to-do list. Through Pinterest, I found Rebecca at Simpleasthatblog offers a free downloadable template. You can find other free ones through Google (but don’t spend too much time looking!).
- Schedule a family game night with games such as Spin Master Games –Escape Room The Game, or Unspeakable Words.
- Organize a neighborhood potluck (yes with your neighbors; talking to them is good).
- Plan a mini family-vacation weekend close to home, or longer one farther away. Where do you want to go as a family? For even more fun, wear matching shirts, like this one on Disney World Matching Tie Dye T Shirt 2018 Family Vacation S Swirly Toy StoryAmazon.
- Spend time together making something: a garden, a Craft-tastic MakeTogether Poster – Kit Family Craft Night, or a Ho, Ho, Ho: How to Make DIY Hanging Holiday Lanterns.
What are your suggestions for improving family time and avoiding information overload? Please comment below and subscribe to get my posts in your email (ironic — sorry!).
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