Page 39 - American English File Student Book 3B

Inform, d n.
3 READING & SPEAKING
a Look at the title o f the article. W hat do you
think it m eans? Read the first paragraph
to check.
b Now read the whole article. C hoose a, b, or c.
1 Many o f the managers surveyed think that
as a result o f information overload__.
a they have to work harder
b they enjoy their jobs less
c they are sick more often
2 Scientists think that inform ation overload
makes people__.
a more anxious but more productive
b more productive but less creative
c more stressed and less creative
3 One solution to information overload
would be for people to spend less tim e__.
a searching for information
b using the Internet
c talking on the phone
c Read the article again and figure out the
meaning o f the highlighted words and phrases
related to the Internet and technology.
d D o you suffer from inform ation overload
in your own life? Talk to your partner about
how inform ation overload affects different
parts o f your life.
y o u r w o rk y o u r s tu d ie s
y o u r so c ia l life y o u r fa m ily life
.
overload
T £ you type the words "information overload" into Google, you will
1 1 immediately get an information overload - more than 7 million hits
in 0.05 seconds. Some of this information is interesting - for example,
you learn that the phrase "information overload" was first used in 1970,
before the Internet was invented. But much of the information is
not relevant or useful: obscure companies and even more obscure
bloggers.
Information overload is one of the biggest irritations in modern life.
There are news and sports websites to watch, emails that need to be
answered, people who want to chat with you online, and back in the real
world, friends, family, and colleagues who also have things to tell you.
At work, information overload is also causing problems. A recent survey
has shown that many company managers believe that it has made their
jobs less satisfying and has even affected their personal relationships
outside work. Some of them also think that it is bad for their health.
Clearly there is a problem. It is not only the increase in the quantity
of information, it is also the fact that it is everywhere, not just in the
home and in the workplace. Many people today do not go anywhere
without their smartphones. There is no escape from the Internet,
Scientists have highlighted three big worries. First, information
overload can make people feel anxious: There is too much to do and
not enough time to do it. People end up multitasking, which can make
them even more stressed. Second, information overload can make
people less creative. Research shows that people are more likely to
be creative if they are allowed to focus on one thing for some time,
without interruptions. Third, information overload can make people
less productive. People who multitask take much longer and make
many more mistakes than people who do the same tasks one after
another.
What can be done about information overload? One solution is
technological: There is now a computer program or app you can install
called Freedom that disconnects you from the web at preset times.
The second solution involves willpower. Turn off your cell phone and
the Internet from time to time. The manager of an IT company puts
"thinking time" into his schedule when all his electronic devices are
turned off so that he isn't disturbed. This might sound like common
sense. But nowadays, although we have more information than ever
before, we do not always have enough common sense.
Online Practice 9B 89