Overwhelmed By Infomania

Today on Word of Mouth, techno overload. Yes, technology has changed the speed and way we conduct business. But not everyone would say it’s become easier. With hundreds of unopened e-mails in the inbox, pop-up notices, RSS feeds, and text messages and phone calls competing for our attention, the tools designed for effiency are leaving us more distracted and less productive. Technology giants Intel, Google, IBM and others combined efforts to form a new non-profit organization called the Information Overload Research Group.

We’re joined by Matt Richtel, who reported on the digital deluge for The New York Times. He’s also the author of the conspiracy thriller Hooked, which deals with distraction and information addiction in the digital age.

We're also joined by Alex Wright, a writer and information architect who has led projects for The New York Times, Harvard University, IBM and others. His new book is Glut: Mastering Information through the Ages. Wright’s thorough tracking of the interaction between people and information illustrates that we are not the first generation to be caught up in "information overload." He says we are only now beginning to understand the information ecology that surrounds us.

(Photo by Sybren Stüvel)