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The Mythology of Information Overload
Library Trends, Wntr, 1999 by Tonyia J. Tidline
Survey questions were developed to get a picture of class members' definitions of information overload in work, school, and other aspects of daily living (or "lifeways"(5)). Students were also asked about their perceptions of information overload with regard to the Folklore class in particular, and about their view of the class as a "community" or folk group. Questions about overload related to the class requirements and were designed to get opinions about the class as a community. The aim was to demonstrate a connection between the folkgroup as an alternative information resource that might reduce information overload deriving from class requirements. The survey was conducted near the end of the semester in the belief that the class would have developed a sense of community that would be reflected as identification as a folk group.
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Questions were pre-tested in consultation with the instructor and a colleague with significant experience in survey questionnaire design and interview techniques. The survey was conducted by e-mail. Responses were analyzed to build a description of information overload and for evidence of the folk group as an information resource. Survey questions are included in the appendix.
FINDINGS
It is clear that class members of LIS 450FL perceived "information overload" in the area of work. Several members noted an "overload overlap" emanating from research assistantship work and schoolwork, which could be expected for graduate students. Some noted this overlap as a byproduct of "life in the information age." Information overload was expressed in terms of having to deal with a variety of input channels such as e-mail, meetings, listservs, and in-basket paper piles. A few respondents also reported headaches and feelings of pressure or confusion as physical and emotional responses to information overload. Filtering was the chief mechanism for dealing with overload in areas of research and schoolwork. Responses implied that what is filtered out is then ignored.
A majority of those responding felt that information overload extended to their leisure hours and described themselves as experiencing conflict or confusion about choosing what to do with scarce free time. Leisure seemed to be confounded with the demands of "lifeways" in respondents' descriptions of overload. For example, some respondents listed tasks that needed to be done during "time off" that were similar to those listed as lifeways. In the latter area, coordinating multiple activities was the primary source of information overload. Procrastination and avoidance were identified as methods for coping with lifeways overload. Only a few people felt that leisure time provides an escape from overload, but they stated this emphatically.
The class did not identify strongly as members of a folk group or feel that class membership served to diminish information overload. When asked about motivation for enrolling in the class, all but one respondent listed the instructor's reputation as a primary reason. "Subject matter" made a strong showing as the second factor for enrollment. Overall, respondents did not seem to feel a shared sense of community. While a majority felt some sense of community, their responses indicated a weak association with the idea of being part of a folk group. Additionally, respondents assumed that others felt little sense of community. Ironically, a few people responded that they felt "left out" of the class at large, which begs the question: What did they feel left out of?. This indicates that perhaps a community did indeed exist marked by the observation that one feels excluded from it.
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