Overstimulated and overwhelmed

Davenport's and Beck's chapter on the Attention Economy is surely something every college student can relate to. Just like Rob was interfered with conversations on the way to the bathroom, most of us aren't able to unplug even when nature calls. We are constantly tuned in and wanting more content. The chapter outlines how our attention is a valuable commodity, and I agree with this statement. In today's "information environment," I know I will never realistically be able to escape the realm of social media. Thus, I try to redirect this time in order to spend it more wisely than mindlessly scrolling through Facebook. Now, I utilize news apps on my phone to learn happenings around the world, I carry a novel with me to read during breaks from class and I have taken up coloring as a new hobby. I find all of these experiences to be more rewarding than a Facebook check-in ever has been. Yet, even if I am not perusing Facebook during these activities, my phone is never far from me. Truthfully, it scares me to think about how much I would struggle without my phone. I am working on creating a healthier relationship with the technology that I have integrated into my life. Now that I know "organization ADD" exists, I will work to combat that in the workplace. I believe attention and time management go hand in hand and I am going to work smarter, not harder, this semester.

Because I am making a more conscience effort to focus on learning world news, I am surprised to learn in the second article that a "decline in news consumption is inevitable." Personally, I do not own a tablet or e-reader and I value the feeling of being able to hold a hardcopy book or newspaper. I hope that in the future I will be reading my kids bedtime stories, instead of letting a robot take that job.

Although Professor Chyi makes valid points, I certainly hope our society will see the value in traditional media. Certainly, the information surplus is something that will continue to impact our lives. Even if "nothing can stop the gap between the supply and demand curves," I hope that we are able to address the negative attributes that come with this information surplus.