On Information and Our Addiction to It

I realize this might push against NBC’s “The More You Know” public service announcements, but I often wonder how much is too much when it comes to information. It reminds me of that new Ladders.com commercial where the professional tennis players are overrun by a mob of wannabes. They suggest it’s tough to stand out when there’s so much commotion around you, even if you’re qualified for that 100K position. (FYI-I checked out their site but was unable to find “teaching or “education” or “writer” in the field selection.) Yes, it’s great to have access to valuable information, like it’s great to be able to watch Wimbledon—the majors are the only time I pay attention to tennis—but trying to filter through what’s valuable and what’s white noise grows more difficult with every new social networking site.

When I hear about the tweets running wild in Iran or some other country resisting an oppressive government, I realize it’s a good thing. But then I have to listen to half a dozen idiots letting some news anchor in on their perspectives about health care or bullying in America’s schools. And, yes, I understand this doesn’t carry much weight coming from a blog, but I can’t help wanting to shout at the TV, “I don’t care what you think.” Even when the updates are from politicians and celebrities, they rarely amount to more than a platitude, a talking point, or a reductive gut reaction. For full disclosure, I don’t yet have a Twitter account, so most of what I have to see is filtered through other forms of media. I suspect I will eventually give in when I see a practical use for my life.

Then there’s Facebook’s news feed, through which I am barraged by status updates ranging from “A long day ahead of me, let’s hope it goes well” to “What a great night! Luv yall girls!” These are not pointed at anyone in particular; they just came to mind. In fact, I don’t blame people updating their status twenty times a day because that’s what the feature is there for. And I’m certain a very small percentage of users think “I wonder what Josh will think about this” when they are making their pithy comments. It’s not like they’re sending me an email every hour updating how they feel about the current situation, but I can’t help feeling that way. I blame Facebook for trying to immerse me in my “friends” lives and for constantly suggesting people I should be friends with just because we attended the same school or know some of the same people. But maybe I should take some of the responsibility. There’s nothing in the site’s terms and conditions that says I have to accept every friend request I receive, or that I have to read every link or status update that’s shown on my news feed.

Clearly, someone is interested in this information. Facebook and Twitter don’t have a social or political agenda, and they’re not providing a public service for the betterment of society. They exist to make money (and they do an excellent job of it). If viewers weren’t sending in tweets to news programs, the anchors wouldn’t be reading them to me. The people who are creating and sustaining this information are those who start to feel nervous when they haven’t looked at their phone in half an hour. People who feel that constantly keeping up with their friends and the world is going to somehow make it more interesting. It’s this addiction to being in the know that worries me a little. I feel like people are so berated with information—most of it inane—they lose the ability to distinguish between what is fact and what is someone’s opinion.

Maybe this is why the Texas Board of Education is able to remove Thomas Jefferson from public history textbooks—because they think he’s ideas are dangerous. (And they are dangerous to people who resist change and radical ideas like equality.) Maybe access to all forms of information can prevent an Orwellian future for America. The fact that government officials in places like China are afraid of an uncensored Google and Twitter speaks volume to their power. Still, I can’t help but wonder if this impact is somewhat blunted by the cacophony created by so many people having the chance to share their voice.

I have to admit, however, that if I had the money, I’d have an iPhone and an iPad.

(This is just me. Let me know what you think.)