When information and data cloud our understanding
A Common sIGHt on lAptop sCrEEns tHEsE DAys Is A BrowsEr CHokED wItH tABs tHAt ArE ConsIDErED “nECEssAry”. WHIlE onE mAy tAkE tHIs EnDlEss ArrAy oF DEvICEs As A sIGn oF proDuCtIvIty, tHE tABs ArE rEAlly A proJECtIon oF tHE CluttEr tHAt Is tAkInG up ConsIDErABlE spACE In our mInD.
SEArCH EnGInEs AnD onlInE ArCHIvEs Allow us to BrowsE tHrouGH AnD pInpoInt Just ABout Any InFormAtIon wE nEED. MAny woulD tHInk tHAt mAkEs us smArtEr. HowEvEr, tHouGH tHIs It mAy sEEm so In prInCIplE, suCH unHInDErED ACCEss to A vAst Amount oF InFormAtIon ImplIEs mAny tHInGs.
FIrstly, unlIkE prE-IntErnEt DAys wHEn HuntInG For sImplE FACts mEAnt ComBInG tHrouGH nEwspApErs or volumEs oF EnCyClopEDIAs, onE DoEs not EnCountEr swAtHEs oF rAnDom InFormAtIon wHIlE lookInG For tHE orIGInAl DAtA tHAt wAs rEquIrED. So, IronICAlly, HAvInG EAsy ACCEss to so muCH knowlEDGE mAy ACtuAlly DECrEAsE Just How muCH wE truly lEArn.
THE morE pErtInEnt IssuE wItH suCH ACCEss, HowEvEr, Is tHE FACt tHAt GoInG tHrouGH GIGABytEs oF InFormAtIon Is tHAt IF onE wErE to ACquIrE lArGE Amounts oF It, tHE wHolE proCEss woulD EmpHAsIzE tHE ACquIsItIon rAtHEr tHAn unDErstAnDInG or rEFlECtIon. Our BrAIns ArE proGrAmmED so tHAt to ACtuAlly lEArn, proCEssInG InFormAtIon Is morE ImportAnt tHAn GAtHErInG It.
THIs Is wHy stuDEnts ArE tolD to rEvIsE kEy ConCEpts AGAIn AnD AGAIn AnD wrItErs DEtACH tHEmsElvEs From workplACEs to oBtAIn A BEttEr unDErstAnDInG oF tHEIr own wrItInG. THErEForE, rAtHEr tHAn mAkInG sEnsE oF wHAtEvEr wE lEArn, DAtA sImply sIts In our mInDs AnD nurturEs mIsunDErstAnDInG.
THIs CoulD potEntIAlly GIvE tHE HumAn populAtIon ConFlICt In tErms oF vIEwpoInts AnD EvEn GEnErAl knowlEDGE, not to mEntIon tHAt FAkE nEws DoEsn’t HElp wItH sortInG out All tHE FACts.
PErHAps tHosE opEn tABs ArE A sIGn oF A DEEpEr, AlArmInG IssuE. My sCHool tEACHEr onCE tolD mE “DruGs wErE tHE mEnACE oF my GEnErAtIon, DAtA Is tHE mEnACE oF yours.” PErHAps sHE wAs rIGHt; pArADoxICAlly, All tHIs InFormAtIon mAy Just BE GIvInG us ClouDED unDErstAnDInG. -