Information Overload

How many times have you put the topic that you want to learn more about into the search engine, only to realize that there are 7,000 pages online that relate to your desired topic? How do you choose the right one? Do you just stay on the first page? Is the page that you picked an ad or a legitimate article? Maybe I am the only one who wonders these things. There is so much information online these days. So many websites competing for our attention. I like to think of myself as somewhat educated, and I still wonder what information can really be trusted online. I definitely don't think that all information is created equal, which is part of the problem. When students aren't familiar with information literacy, and they trust any random website as a reliable source, the result can be detrimental. I think that this is especially true in healthcare. People, in general, go the internet and self- diagnose based on information they found online. They may opt to avoid actually seeking professional help because they believe any and everything they read online. Not only is this unhealthy for their physical health, but also for their mental health, due to the unnecessary stress they may cause themselves.

I had heard the term "information literacy" prior to reading this article, but I don't know that I had ever been enlightened on its meaning. Reading this article and internalizing what information literacy is, really magnifies the fact that information literacy has implications that are just as serious as illiteracy. I have often joked that "reading is fundamental", but in actuality, nothing could be more true. If people don't know when they "need information and where to locate it effectively and efficiently", then they are not able "to analyze and evaluate" the information that is found, thus resulting in a lack of "confidence in using that information to make a decision or create a product". When people are illiterate (not having the ability to read and write), they often face very similar challenges on a daily basis,because they many not know how to locate and effectively use information.

Another point that I thought about after this article is that the "digital divide" still exists and the problem is only compounded when you factor in "information literacy". Can students that don't have the same access to internet on a regular basis be as adept at information literacy as those students that do have regular access? As teachers of young students that deal with information overload on a daily basis, we bear some responsibility in helping them learn to become information literate. It does a diservice to our students to allow them to pass from grade to grade when they do not have the ability to read and comprehend information in their textbooks. Is it not of equal consquence if we allow them to be "information illiterate" as well?