Is there too much information around for us to be human?

Question

With all the information around and available to us, not to mention all of the information that is thrust upon us by force, is there to much for us to handle these days?

Is this "information overload" desensitising us to the horrors and the evils of the world around us, in effect robbing us of our strength of character and humanity?

Serious answers only please.

Thanks.

Answer 1

My Star question... makes a profound point and of course needs to be considered seriously.

I agree that the overload of information is making us machines and characterless.

There is so much flooding in of information in general that we interface with it all in a reactive manner rather than in a reflective manner.... e-mail is a good example.. press the reply button and type a few words no later than received.

Thoughtful consideration of any information is getting time constrained due to the flooding in of data and in order to deal with all, we end up merely seeing through all before the next lot to be similarly merely seen through.

On the one hand it makes us machines and on the other hand the knowledge we acquire, if at all, is peripheral with unwanted width and insufficient depth to be of good use in future. Absence of depth dilutes our character. Speed and quantity has become the key requirement relegating our priority for direction and quality.

Answer 2

Great question! a you are getting some neat and serious answers for this questions! I love "Small" answer and the other lady's answer I didn't actually read, but just by looking at it and seeing the top it I can be sure it is at least serious...
Still I might have something to add to their opinions upon this matter...

Yes like Small said, the information we receive now as humans with so many communication mediums can be overwheming and selfcharacter consuming.... BUT, only if you and me, and each individual let it to be overwheming... I don't see it like that in my own life... Ok... Yes... it is a lot of imformation at some times, too much to even feel you can handle it correctly all of it, but I still try to always suck out some kind of learning experince from anything that happens to go by my life... Even a silly email can be used for good and seen as good.... Just take you time and think before acting, before doing anything... That little thinking you do each and every time you encounter some kind of information or experience will help you build an overall understanding of how everything works in this worlds... you will be able to mature in that sense of knowing your worlds, the people that come into your life and the opportunities available to you... just by thinking about all this information that might seem overwhelming...

Take avantage of having so much information just in front you!
Instead of reacting with fear of ending up characterless like Small said (and it is a possivility, but only if you want it that way)... then instead of reacting like that, comfront and face this information, because this is life! life is about sometimes having to feel stressed and having to be more active than normal to be able to grasp information from all kinds of sources and put everything together into solutions, responses to your questions, a understanding of everything, etc...

Try to be a philosopher and ask why fro everything, and you then will se how much you can learn from anything you encounter...

Then... God bless the "information overload"

Hope that Helps!

CHRIS

Answer 3

Hmm, so what your striving for is a more altruistic sense of humanity? I don't see it as de-humanizing. I think you were more on the ball by using 'desensitizing.' We are the only 'human' form on this planet, so it's hard to judge how much of something we are or aren't when there's no measuring stick. You're searching for human ethics. 'Being human' is a simple physical state in its most basic form. All that we do is 'human' even if it isn't 'humane'. I mean, we are all capable of very dark and disparaging things, and this is a part of humanity. I am a firm believer in gray. There isn't a real b/w explanation to anything, and viewing humanity in a strictly ethical (strength of character) fashion is almost like putting blinders on to the WHOLE side of human nature. We see our 'faults' and find shame or embarassment in our actions. The fact alone that we can feel these things makes us human. The fact we can hate and see these 'evils of the world' I think is something that makes us very human. A dog doesn't hate. He may react, but he doesn't hate.

It's when we react to stimuli without thought that I would be concerned that we are losing touch with the rational side of humanity. But it can also be argued that this more animal reaction is also just another facet to humanity.

Answer 4

There is much information in the world today, but I think that people should not forget to remain human...Personally, I am trying to avoid "overloading"...so I think that information can be used for our benefits, without forgetting to remain human deep inside...or perhaps I am just wishfully thinking...anyway, many people seem to forget how to be human...but I am trying not to...so...loll