Increasingly, psychologists are warning us to be wary of “information technology overload”. This bombarding of information affects concentration and decision-making abilities. It also affects our health. “One could suffer from insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, high blood pressure and increase in body temperature. In extreme cases, it can also lead to depression,” explains psychologist and counsellor Dr Anand A. Rao.
Sharatchandra Aithal, a game tester spends close to 13 hours online. “My work is online, hence I can’t get away from it. I have got glasses now and also suffer from ‘tension headaches’ often,” he says, adding, “I’ve been around computers since I was five and am addicted. I’m afraid it’s a little too late for me.”
Being wary of information overload is a phenomenon that has crept up on today’s Gen-Y, and many might not even be aware of the damage caused. Aithal’s colleague Shivprasad Vijaykumar is in the same boat. “There is no way to get away. Apart from work, I spend at least five hours online. Backaches and headaches are a part and parcel of it. It’s just the way things are nowadays. I have resigned myself to it.”
For IT professional and news junkie, Kamal Nath, the focus on negativity affects him, “I read everything, the focus on negative news is quite stressful. The time I spend online reading about wars and natural disasters is like reading a movie script. It’s surreal.” So Nath’s solution is simple. “I remind myself to use technology, but not become enslaved by it.”