Russia (bbabo.net), - In the digital age, it's pretty easy to get lost in the mass of information. Now most people spend many hours of their lives on the Internet, in fact, in a physically non-existent world. If your smartphone constantly notifies you of an increase in screen time, and when you access the Web, after half an hour you realize that you are not viewing the information that you planned at all, it may be time to think about it. What to do with information noise and whether it is necessary to deal with it, said the Ekaterinburg psychologist Ilya Shibaev.
- We live in a time when people want "everything at once", they are afraid of not being able to do something, not to know, not to see. The rapid development of technology simply does not allow us to concentrate, does not allow us to focus on one thing. Problems most often arise against the background of attempts to "recycle" necessary (for example, plans for the day) and unnecessary (tapes in social networks, stories) information. There is confusion in the head. Our brains are overloaded with an endless stream of data. Because of this, various phobias can develop (fear of not seeing someone's story, not reading the latest news, not leaving a comment). The fear of being left without the Internet and the phone, most likely, is now predominant, because a person is immediately lost and does not know what his leisure time is doing, says the psychologist.
Now everyone depends on information to some extent, but the problem is that there is too much of it.
- The more often we are in the space of information from the outside (Internet, TV, newspapers), the more often we fall under the influence of the so-called information noise, we begin to scroll in our heads what we saw, read, heard and begin to process this information that our brain does not need. reproduce in your head. It's like a song constantly repeating in our head, which we heard somewhere and cannot stop mentally "singing" it, - continues Ilya Shibaev.
The topic of information noise is strongly felt in the context of the spread of coronavirus. In emergency situations, people are prone to extreme mood swings and make decisions in a state where emotional reactions prevail over rational ones. The ability to think and act deliberately weakens even when a person, falling into the crowd, becomes infected with the mood of the mass. The laws of crowd behavior also apply to online communities.
What to do if people on the web spread panic or, on the contrary, call for ignoring measures to combat COVID-19?
Ilya Shibaev: We need to be conscious of the recommendations that the healthcare system gives us and try to adhere to them.
How to filter information correctly?
Ilya Shibaev: It is advisable to look for only what is needed and not be distracted by other tricks that lure us. For example, if we need a recipe for pancakes, then we do not need to jump on the links where the latest pilaf recipe is indicated. You have to learn to be patient. It is necessary to clearly understand why we need this information and what we will do with it.
It is necessary to constantly doubt the information, several times to be convinced of their reliability. Doubts about the information we receive can help us develop critical thinking and give us another reason to think about whether we need this information.
How to develop critical thinking?
Ilya Shibaev: To do this, you need to perform one task per day - for example, start cleaning the house. These issues need to be changed. Board games with a detective story, guessing difficult riddles will also help. Another option is to analyze what surrounds you. This will help to understand what "catches" and what is really difficult to do without.
Will giving up social media solve the problem?
Ilya Shibaev: This is not a bad idea, but then the person may not know what to do next. When we protect ourselves from such a flow of information, the body, accustomed to it, experiences a lack of it and curiosity. And even if we have found something to replace gadgets with, it will be difficult to hold out for a long time without a clear structure of actions and plans for the near future. You need to find employment for a long time ahead. In case you experience stress or depression without gadgets, contact a specialist.
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