I like information. I like knowing stuff. I like the fact that it is easier to access information through the Internet. I think Google totally rocks the casbah.
But...
...sometimes I think that there is just too much out there to know. After a while all of the stuff that we cram into our heads just starts to jumble together and we become the victims of information overload. Everyone's limit is different, but we all know when we have reached that point that screams, "Too Much!"
So, as a precautionary measure for myself, I have compiled a list of stuff that I never want to explore in great depth. I was inspired to create this list after listening to an interview with well-known writer, Nora Ephron. She has made a similar list to aid her in her fight against information overload. So, here it goes:
1. Twitter
2. Why Pluto was made a non-planet
3. Modern rap music
4. Parkour
5. Frisbee Golf
6. Jersey Shore
7. Feng-Shui
8. Being a vegan
9. Which volcanoes are close to erupting
10. High level math
11. Any "Real Housewives" show/season
12. "The Facebook Movie"
13. South Dakota
14. Why my eye does that weird twitching thing every once in a while
15. Deep seated hatred
I think this is a good start. At least I know that information about these fifteen items will never crowd my already crowded noggin. Hey, it's a start.
23 comments:
This was very creative. I like the idea of thinking of things that you will not clutter your brain with. I have often felt that I have too much useless information in my head. I actually know information about 5 items on your list, which I probably won't need in life. I totally agree with you on number 6& 10. One thing I was wondering was what was on the persons list who inspired you. I guess everyones list would be completely different and unique to them.
I couldn't help but to laugh at some of the things that you have written on your list! I do agree with you though. There most definitely is a point when I say " This is to much!" and I find myself just stopping what I do and take a break for a while. I found that I probably would have some similar things on my list if I was to make one. One definite one would be Twitter because I just can't seem to understand the point of it. But I must say that I do love "Real Housewives" shows/season. They are just so entertaining!
Wow! I could not agree more on the idea that sometimes enough is enough when it comes to certain things. I found your list to be a great start, but I know there is a ton more that you could add on to it. In my opinion, something’s that you could add to this list are Wikipedia, advertisements (such as Viagra commercials), lawyers, teachers (but not you Mrs. TStok), Bing.com (especially their commercials), almanacs, “Young and the Restless”, and many more. I personally find that not only are specific things in this world related to information overload, but so are certain people. I cannot stand be around people who just won't be quiet. For some of these people, it is impossible to make a long story short. They will go on and on about things that I really don't even care to know or ever know about. However, I don't want to be rude and tell them to just straight-up shut-up.
Instead I have other techniques that I use to avoid or get out of these situations. One of the best ways to do it is to just say that you have to be somewhere else and that you don't have time to listen to the rest of their story and that maybe another time. But in actuality, I will just avoid from having talk to these people again. You can also try and throw in one of your own comments to change the subject. One of my favorite routes to go with is bringing another person into the conversation to listen and while they are focusing on them, you can take your chance and slowly slip away, out of sight. And last, the by far most outrageous and hilarious way to do so is to pretend someone is calling you on your phone. Answer it and say, "Oh my God! My mom is going into labor! I’m sorry, but I have to go." All these techniques seem to work great! That for the blog post! You made a great point!
I like the topic of this post. It’s true how there’s that point where you know a lot and there’s no need for extra knowledge. I agree that twitter would be on my list also. I don’t see the importance about "tweeting". #8 is another one I would have to agree with. Its something I don’t recommend and I believe will waste space in my noggin for important issues.
I agree that there at some points of the day where I think there is way too much information swimming around in my head and most of ends up being completely useless in everyday life. Some of the things on your list made me laugh but I do agree with the ones like numbers 6, 11, and most definitely number 10.
I would have to agree with the whole "information overload" idea. There is so much handy information out there, waiting to be explored. But on the contrary, there is even more information that is, in my opinion, just plain useless. By the way, I laughed at number 14, because I love when my eye does that, it feels so cool. So now I thought I would make my own list. Here goes!
1. Collecting coins
2. Meat-packing industry
3. VCRs
4. Ask.com
4. K-mart
5. The Periodic Table
6. Candles
7. Soccer
Naturally, my brain blocks out information I don't find necessary to my pleasure. For example, after reading an extremely uninteresting novel, my brain turns off and the words seem to flow from my eyes, but I have not understand a thing. We have to learn to be selective learners.
If I could laugh over text, I would, as this was extremely funny. I also sometimes wonder why I know things that I do, as they are very useless. My dad is a prime example of this. He is one of the smartest people I have ever met, yet he doesn't know any pop culture or even how to cook a pizza. For example, he can tell you when and where Warner Bros was started and the history of the city where it was started, yet he can't name one movie that Brad Pitt was in. He can explain the physics of how pizza cooking is related to the type of oven, but wouldn't know whether to cook it for five hours or three minutes. I will follow in your footsteps and try to fill my brain with what is important for me!
You had a few funny things listed on that list. This is great idea, I think planning what information won’t be entering my brain is strange, but it will leave space for important information. When you think about it, everyone’s list would be different. We all have different interests, like your number 6 is something that wouldn’t be on my list, of course, but your number 5 would be on my list. I can't imagine how long everyone’s list would be if we actually made one throughout our life.
I wish I never explored the inner recesses of facebook, or deep seated hatred, I think I suffer from information overload myself.
The list is hilarious! There's some things in there I would have never even thought of looking up online. I haven't really experienced search overload, I mean, I don't even know how do I know I'm feeling search overload. Am I suppose to feel different? I think the idea is just a myth. People control the internet and their computers, I don't see how the computer can somehow retaliate against its user by bum-rushing him with information.
This is very interesting, but after reading it caught my eye that Facebook is not in the list, but it all depends on the person because everyone has different points of views. It made me laugh the one about "jersey shore" thats way too much!People going on the internet for that they have nothing to do. I have actually never been on twitter, because just with Facebook its too much. Twitter and facebook are a waste of time, I find myself very tempted if my computer is on and I'm not logged into facebook. It would be very interesting to see what other people would put on that list.
A lot of phones these days will "auto delete" text messages if there are too many in the phone's memory. Sometimes I feel like that's my brain. When I overload on information intake, I feel like some of the information I haven't dawned on in a while just dumps out of my head. I always seem to forget useful information, while I keep the random facts that I don't think I really need.
Yes I do agree with you to a certain level. All of the names of things you have place on your list are debateble to some if they really are important, however the only one that truly strickes me is parkour. I see Parkour as I see Karate an art that develops physical strength as well as mental both which are greatly needed to survive. In the mental area I don't mean math, of course, I mean focus, and relaxation given an even flow of neurons to your brain, but in the end everyone is entitled to their own list.
Some of the things on this list really made me think, of all the thing I don't want to learn more about. Like when the world is going to end, ok, we will all die someday, is there really a need to know when? Even though this topic may be interesting to a lot of people, I personally find it morbid and see it as something completely pointless to learn more about, what is the point of living your life looking at a clock counting down the seconds.
I like this idea but I do not understand how rap music has to do with cramming information in your head. I hate overloading and its been happening to me a lot in APUSH. I just think it is too much people and dates and I just think I am confusion all the dates and information since im learning so much. I need to create a list so that I can learn more necessary things because I feel like I know too much unnecessary things which do not help me in school.
Although there is too much information on the web, you can chose witch of it you access as you go.
The way I see it the idea of the list is not exactly practical. First of all you would have to memorize this said list, otherwise go through it every time you get any kind information. Also, making a list that is so absolute is a little to compromising. You never know what the future holds, or if you will need this information in the future. For example, if you have a child that decides to be a vegan, you will probably have to get familiar with that, or if you have any relative that decides marry a Chinese person, you might want to know some Feng-Shui to pick out a present for their wedding. Besides there is so many topics that there is no way you can possibly include every topic your not interested in on your list.
Although I do see your point on the post, I would have to respectfully disagree on the account that I love useless information. Information overload is probably very harmful in the long run for remembering important facts, but the weirdest facts in life never cease to interest me.
BUT, if I had to make a list of three things to remove myself from entirely, it would be MTV (and all its hundreds of subnetworks) Heavy Metal Screamo, and Glee.
This list really made me laugh! I guess I have some thinning out to do in my head. Unfortunately, I knew most of the subjects on it and now I realize that's bad. All the different technology and news being reported it bogging up my head and it needs to stop.
As far as information overload goes I think that teachers should coordinate their major tests so there not all on the same day every week. When I'm studying all different subjects I start mixing things up. I start saying things like Battle of Bunker Hill is the Integral of monopoly and so on.
Today there are so many ways to get information. If you type anything in Google you'll get a hundred different search results no matter how weird the topic is. I agree that many things on your list are very pointless and they have nothing worthwhile of knowing, but sometimes its good to know things about random subjects. I guess there is a point when you just can't learn anymore and you get an information overload.
I completely agree with you. Sometimes I find myself with so much information in my head to process, that I feel like my head is going to explode, and my brain is going to shatter into thousand little pieces. I think this is a growing problem in our society, specially among teens, because we always want to learn about random stuff, and other people's lives (whether celebrities or not) and besides all this crap that we put in our heads, we have to deal with all the information we gain in school. Whether it is Math, English, Science, History or even the classes we get to choose (electives), we have to learn new stuff almost daily, and we must retain all that information in order to pass the class. Just like me, I know there are thousands of teens out there having this problem, and to be honest I don't think that there is a solution for it, it's just the way it is, we will always run the risk of having an "information overload."
This is very creative. I never would have even thought about doing this. If I was to make a list of things that I would never want or need to learn, that list would be endless. If people focused more on what they really need to know or really enjoy knowing, they would have a lot more room in their brain to store information that they have to know.
Perhaps is not the amount of information but the time that you take to process it…
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