Information Overload: How to solve the problem? Current trends in technology and its impacts to individuals and organizational context

Abstract

The Internet has had reflective effect on changing the life of each individual, not least by making consumers more involved in creating the content and offering products themselves using Internet. This paper reviews the problem of information overload, with particular reference to both individuals and business organizations. The paper tells that although the problem of information overload has existed for many years, in recent years the problem has become more widely recognized and practiced. The term ‘information overload’ has been recognized due to the rapid advances made by information and communication technology in the recent years, however, this does not make it clear whether this is making peoples life easier or more stressful. The paper reviews that even though there are hundreds and thousands of information available, it is still very difficult or even more stressful to find out the right information at the right time. Some solutions that are presented in order to solve the problem and reduce the information overload are: filtering the information, investing in knowledge and not information and the provision of value-added information (filtered by software or information curators). An emphasis is placed on technology as a tool and not the driver, while increased information literacy may provide the key to reducing information overload.