The late 20th century and early 21st century have given us technological wonders and instantaneous access to information on a scale that has never been seen before: the internet and the micro chip have changed the ways we communicate and experience the world around us. Where we once inhabited small, tightly knit communities these advances have literally brought the world to our doorsteps. As wonderful as that is, it can also be a challenge to filter through the numerous gadgets, email and social media postings, television channels, and the myriad other things that are constantly clamoring for our attention. Over time, this ceaseless technological barrage can lead to information burnout.

Our parents had access to local and world news only at certain times of the day because their t.v. channels didn’t broadcast 24/7. Their parents and grandparents got their day-old news from the radio or newspapers or saw news updates on movie newsreels in their local theaters. They had to be content with snail mail to get family information. They had to deal with just making phone calls on a landline phone that couldn’t travel any farther away than the length of the phone cord. When something tragic happened or a disaster occurred, they were, in a sense, sheltered from the full extent of the trauma. Nowadays, however, natural or man-made disasters, economic distress, and personal tragedies inundate us every minute of the day. They hurtle at us through our smartphones, leap off the screen every time we access the internet, and blare at us when we turn on the t.v. This information overload keeps people in heightened states of awareness and can push certain individuals into experiencingtrauma syndromes such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other trauma spectrum disorders. Left untreated, a cyber-stress trauma syndrome can become perpetual.

Information burnout symptoms include:

• Feelings of helplessness
• Confusion and frustration
• Anger
• Increased cardiovascular stress
• Impaired judgment
• Apathy
• Sleep disturbances
• Emotional reactivity or emotional numbing

Dealing With Information Overload Syndrome:

• Develop a hobby that can occupy your mind and reduce the time you spend focusing on external stimuli. It doesn’t have to be something as “technique sensitive” as woodworking or painting; exercise can be a hobby, too!
• Limit your time on the Web – often one link leads to another and another, and before you know it, hours have passed with little to show for them except more techno stress.
• Limit your email time to one hour a day.
• Unsubscribe to all but the most relevant newsletters and feeds.
• Reduce junk email by restricting who you give your email address to so you aren’t added to online marketing lists.
• Reduce television time – you may think that watching t.v. is a good way to relax, but your subconscious is continually being bombarded with more information!
• Turn off your cell phone, iPad, laptop, and computer! You don’t have to be in contact 24/7 – take back your life by taking control of these devices.

If you take steps to deal with the overload, but find that you still feel angry, helpless, or frustrated by information burnout, see a mental health professional who works with trauma syndromes. They can help you take back the parts of your life that you have lost to technostress. To learn more about information overload syndrome, call Dr. David A. Gross in Delray Beach, FL at 561-865-6734 or email him today.