Information overload: it's time to take your time: October 7, 2002 issue of New Thinking

October 7, 2002 New Thinking:
Information overload: it's time to take your time

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October 7, 2002

Information overload: it's time to take your time

By Gerry McGovern

The technology industry has a blind and zealous faith in speed and innovation. Society in general has bought into the change is good mantra. We have become a world of instant communicators, speed merchants and multitaskers. Greed is the first cousin of speed. We have bought into the belief that we can get rich quick without any real effort. We can't.

Late at night, the ads for getting fit quick come on. As a super-fit athlete trains with one of these latest gadgets, they give the camera a big, toothy smile. I've been involved in a lot of sports. I don't remember people smiling during training.

Parents today are in awe of their children. I heard a father talk recently about his 13-year-old son. This boy could play music, watch TV, text, and do his lessons—all at the same time! Parents talk about such behavior in a 'I wish I could do that' sort of way. Why?

Change and innovation have become sacred cows. It's time for a bit of slaughter. Change can be for the worse. In the Nineties, many economies changed into 19th Century Robber Baron capitalist greed-fests.

Companies such as Enron and Worldcom practiced innovative accounting. Innovation wasted over a trillion dollars in the last decade. The need to innovate is often a cover-up for shoddy products rushed to market so as to catch the next sucker.

This downturn should make us slow down and think. Silicon Valley tells us that 'Speed is god and time is the devil.' But is it telling us the truth? Because here are some other sayings from the Valley:
• "'Act fast and fix the problems later' is how we operate here," Silicon Valley guru, Regis McKenna states.
• "Don't worry, be crappy," Silicon Valley guru, Guy Kawasaki states.

Are our multitasking youth the wave of the future? Consider the following:
• "More Americans believe they are computer literate than they really are," according to Gallup/International Technology Education Association, January 2002.
• "Many computer science and engineering majors today do not understand the fundamentals of how computers work," according to Interactive Week, December 2000.

I've seen commentators lament about how many of our multitasking youth can't even string a decent sentence together. Look around you today. There is a dearth of analysis and wise judgment, from the CIA to the stock market.

Our technological society has got caught in its own speed trap. Computers have long been sold based on the promise of faster processors. This is no longer a compelling sell. Many are realizing that with speed comes noise, overload and fashionable, shallow thinking.

"The problems fundamental physics is facing right now very much require stepping back, sitting down and taking off the shoes and talking by the fire," physicist Carlo Rovelli states.

The problem is fundamental. It reflects a macho culture of long hours and frenzied activity. This culture exhibits lemming-like behavior as it races after what is new, cool and innovative. A concentrated effort on a single task is frowned on by this attention-deficit gang.

If you're too busy to take your time to do well what needs to be done well, you are failing in your job, or else your job is failing you. There are no excuses here. Change the way you work or change your job. Take your time. Hiding behind long hours and a hyperactive mobile isn't fooling anyone anymore.

Gerry McGovern

Next issue: Words make your website a success
Previous issue: Information technology: Trojan Horse of information overload

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This world of ours is drowning in rocket science. Throw it some common sense.

Gerry McGovern's books are recommended reading at the following universities

Augustana College, United States
Brandeis University, United States
Drury University, United States
Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland
Indiana University, United States
Monash University, Australia
Northeastern University, United States
University of Applied Sciences, Germany
University of Regina, Canada
University of Teesside, UK
Manchester Metropolitan University

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