Information overload

I’ve been having a few conversations with a friend about the importance of technology such as the Internet, smartphones and tablets.

He mentioned that no amount of money would convince him to give up Internet for the rest of his life because everything revolves around it and was rather surprised when I said I don’t mind giving it all up for a certain sum of money.

I’m finding that technology is becoming a major pain point. I love knowledge and learning, and so I try to find ways to incorporate technology to facilitate this. However, to stay up-to-date with all the latest information and content regarding certain topics is literally making my head feel like exploding every day.

In order to keep up-to-date with technology news and have regular entrepreneurship inspiration for my side business, I’m using Google Reader and Twitter. Some of the sites can churn out 200 articles per day and the amount of content that needs to be scanned through to pick out what is important is mind-boggling.

For church ministry, I also subscribe to content and updates through e-mail and twitter so that it helps to keep me aligned that there is a spiritual purpose and centrality to everything that I do.

I’m finding that lowest on the food chain is the social side of things where once in awhile I log into Twitter and Facebook in order to see what some friends and family are up to but this has become a much less common activity.

I honestly told my friend that I much preferred the days when I didn’t bother about Internet and the corresponding social and content connectivity. In the past, I would call a friend from a fixed line to another fixed line, and we’d arrange to meet at the tennis courts or meet a group of friends for mamak. In order to learn about a topic, I would buy a book and read it slowly, absorbing everything I needed to at my own pace.

But as I observe the kids nowadays and how they handle smartphones, tablets and computers, I understand that it’s really for the new generation. A generation who grew up thinking that keeping up with all this fast-paced information was normal and effortless. I have seen 2 year olds use iPhones faster and with more comfort than myself.

I’m finding it hard to keep up although I feel that it’s necessary.

I suddenly realise that I’m old and am no longer the ‘younger generation’.

Categories: Business, Leadership, Technology