Previously published
Introduction
Blockchainized Bachelor’s Thesis
Blockchainized Bachelor’s Thesis – Initial Brainstorm
Thesis
1.Abstract
4.Definitions of terms and premises
5.Information overload as an issue
5.2.1.1 Reduction of the potential to gain the ability to focus
5.2.1.2 Reduction of the potential for achieving innovation
5.2.1.3 Decrease of decision-making quality
5.2.1.4 Increased chances of psychological symptoms
5.2.2 Possible methods of elimination or reduction of information overload
5.2.2.1 Psychological measures
5.2.2.1.1 Meditation
5.2.2.1.2 Resilience training
5.2.2.1.3 Information literacy
Sources walkthrough
1.Battling Information Overload in the Information Age
3.Database Research faces the Information Explosion
4.The experience of mobile information overload: struggling between needs and constraints
5.Longer online reviews are not necessarily better
6.An ant-colony based approach for real-time implicit collaborative information seeking
5.2.2 Possible methods of elimination or reduction of information overload
The previous subchapter implies that the consequences of information overload affect all conceivable mental processes. The global consequence is, in fact, the mental inefficiency of the individual. Now is the time to look at possible methods to remove or partially eliminate that overload. In fact, there are only two models to combat information overload - psychological and technical measures [14].
Solving any problem has one very important assumption, namely that the individual is aware of the fact that the problem exists and has an impact on it. If this assumption is not met, solving of a problem is anything but effective. It is very rare for a person to be consciously focused on solving of a problem at all times. The brain, however, needs a conscious logical input, namely awareness of what problem the individual has, what he knows about it, and how he needs to deal with it [24]. It is therefore undisputable that at the core of solving any problem is the rationalization of the problem (which is a part of the psychological measures and the technical aid should fulfil the function that the individual realizes he needs.) However, rationalization of the problem of information overload is a very broad concept. Any critical reflection on any aspect of information overload that I have described in this work is key to finding out how people tend to rationalize the problem. That will be the primary objective of the practical part. The fact remains that the best system is just as good as its user. [14] First of all, I will focus on psychological measures and then technical ones.
5.2.2.1 Psychological measures
The problem of psychological measures is that their effectiveness cannot be objectively examined. For all psychological measures, every individual has to find his own path in order to be more efficient. Everyone needs to evaluate their information needs and mental qualities and, on the basis of this information, try to improve themselves in one or more of the categories outlined in this text. It is true that the value of any commodity (in this case information) and its effect on our psyche is always and in all conditions interpersonally incomprehensible [25].
5.2.2.1.1 Meditation
I defined the inability to concentrate on one particular point as one of the problems of information overload. I also tried to prove that this ability can only be improved by repetitive training. The problem, however, is that once an individual has not acquired this ability in life, it is very difficult to begin the learning directly by reading more complex texts or engaging in lengthy discussions. These practices go hand in hand usually with a complex network of contexts and links of one information to another, which, without the ability to concentrate on one point, results very quickly in information overload (an unwanted solution by a circle). Meditation is one of the tools that allows us to learn to focus on one point without having to process different contexts and links between information. I realize that meditation is based on a culture that recognizes a different ontology than that outlined in this work, but it is still an instrument that can be used to control the ability to concentrate and thus to think.
When meditating, the individual tries to focus on one point chosen by him, such as breath, repetitive word, or some image. This state of mind is called "one-pointedness." Maintaining this state of mind is equal to resisting the tendency of an untrained brain to jump from point of attention to another. Some Buddhist monks call this tendency of the brain (or rather the state of mind when we give in to this brain lust) "monkey mind". This constantly disrupts the interaction between us and the information we choose. Meditation is the simplest and most intuitive way for obtaining the skills to resist this state of mind, thus being able to concentrate on just one point [8].
5.2.2.1.2 Resilience training
As can be deducted from the subchapter Brain, a human being is able to train the processing and storage functions of the brain, which necessarily increases his processing capacity and the amount of information that can be saved before the congestion occurs. This training takes place both in gradual exposure to previously unmanageable amounts of information and in attempts to absorb more information than ever before. Both methods can be trained through ancient virtue - critical thinking [14]. All individuals should have the ability to move from the bottom of their potential and reach their human predetermined limits, thereby proportionally reducing future potential congestion.
5.2.2.1.3 Information literacy
When an individual has the ability to concentrate on one particular issue (which is absolutely essential), he can begin to work effectively with the information. I have already defined Information literacy in the first chapter. Internalisation of values without their conscious and critical assessment cannot be achieved, nor is it possible to achieve an understanding of the world of information and effectively work with it. Finally, that cannot be achieved without the ability to focus on the issue.
The question is to what extent the average individual of the human race has the chance to achieve this skill (genetic information doesn’t necessarily have to have the potential in it), however, it would be inappropriate to adjudge in a situation where compulsory education doesn’t teach this skill at all and economic incentives of the information age insufficiently motivate people to learn this skill outside of the education system (which primarily implies that the information age is still in its early stages). Ability to solve the problem, ability to recognize patterns, ability to determine priorities, ability to understand the essence of a problem, ability to know when a person does not know the information (enlightened ignorance, or a situation where one does not think for selfish reasons that he knows the truth when he does not) perhaps even more important, the ability to know when an individual does not need to know the subject - not just these competencies are part of information literacy. However, the education system primarily and almost exclusively focuses on the reproduction of information (ie, their memorization) [14]. If an informationally literate person, as defined in the subchapter Information literacy, is able to distinguish redundant information from useful one, can orient himself effectively in the world of information, hence knows where to search for information, etc. such an individual will have the potential to discover relevant information faster because he would expose himself to less information (hence using less processing capacity). Such a person would be less overloaded by information.