 Informania - is it an illness or a cure?
The new era has a new illness - Informania. As its name implies, it is a disorder
associated with information we overloaded. Most computer users and cell phone users have
this disease. Don't think you are immune as most regular Internet and cell phone users are
at risk for the disease. And don't claim that you are happy to have such a disease because
you are losing your intelligence.
It is now necessary to take note of the boundaries that have become blurred in life with
technology. With the rise of "Informania," people have become addicted to email
and text messages. However, there should be a line between what technology presents to us
and ourselves. Try to remember the reason for the existence of technology: it is a way to
make everything easier, not an aim but a vehicle. The brand new illness came with the new
technologies as people now have an undeniable need to know everything.
However, what we want to know is not information that is worth being kept. We have an
urgent need to know what messages are on our cell phones or in our emails and what has
happened in the celebrity world. What the Televole culture teaches us is to be curious
about who is dating whom, who earns how much money, who goes on vacation where, etc.
Literature, history and what happened last summer in Palestine are no longer important in
our minds. For these reasons Informania is an illness.
Being interested in trivial matters is the worst manifestation of the illness without a
doubt. An additional manifestation of Informania is the desire to read every book
published on every subject, from art to sports; from politics to sociology. This broad
curiosity will end with people knowing everything and nothing. "Everything" is
an infinite topic taking several lifetimes to master. Instead, focus on one thing in order
to learn successfully. Try to become an expert on one topic instead of mastering
"everything."
Evidence for the decreasing intelligence of Informaniacs is that being distracted by
incoming email and phone calls resulted in a 10-point decrease in IQ scores. New
technology can help productivity but users must learn to switch computers and phones off.
If the World Health Organization said that it is illness, then I respect the seriousness
of this issue. However, when people learn to turn off their computers and their cell
phones, and draw a line between real life and the feeling of talking face-to-face, it may
be a cure. Researchers have found that 62% of people checked work messages at home or
while on holiday. Note that, in a coffee house or a pub, where you supposed to hang out
and chat with your friends, the number of times you look at your phone to see if there is
a missed call.
Infromania as an illness which might create big crises when you try to control yourself.
While you are learning something, other things swim around in your mind and destroy your
concentration. While reading a book and thinking about the next book you want to read all
while being preoccupied with learning a language and wanting to learn other languages
while watching a TV channel and wanting to turn see what is on other channels… The
viciousness of this cycle makes it hard to concentrate and really learn something. The
World Health Organization says that it is a serious illness, which will be hard to find a
solution for.
Let's turn the manic curiosity into a cure. It is good to want to read books, watch the
news, and learn what is going on in the world, especially with respect to political
events. Ignoring the unnecessary events and directing your attention toward more useful
things would be a perfect way to turn the disease into a cure. The Televole culture is
fast growing and everything can change in one night for celebrities. Just forget about all
of that. Realize the boundaries and difference between talking with someone via the
Internet versus face-to-face where the gestures and nuances of being human thrive.
Remember the existence of the technology as a vehicle, not a source of life… Turn
Informania into a cure.
Gülay Acar (COMD/IV)
howtoreachgulay@yahoo.com
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