5 Tips To Manage Information Overload In Children
We live in the age of information. You and your children literally have the world at your fingertips. Information of almost every kind is available through a quick online search. And while this is a great thing in many aspects, there are some big challenges presented by all this content — especially when it comes to children.
Information overload is a real thing. It happens at home and at school. The trick is to help your child manage this type of overload so they can live a more healthy, balanced life. We can only expect the influx of information we’re bombarded with each day to continue growing as the years pass by, so preparing your child now to handle this is an important mission for every parent (and educator).
So what causes information overload in students? And how do students deal with information overload? Learn the answers to these questions and more as we explore tips to manage information overload in children that can help to prepare them for life in the 21st century.
What Is Information Overload?
There are two ways to define information overload. One is clinical and the other is more of an educational definition.
Clinically, information overload describes when someone struggles with the information they are presented, as well as how to effectively use it to help them learn and make decisions. With so much information bombarding students daily, it can feel overwhelming to receive all these facts and details at once.
In an educational context, information overload refers to a student’s battle to comprehend the material they are presented with simply because there’s so much to process. Almost every student will feel overwhelmed by the ideas presented to them at some point, but students who are particularly struggling with information overload experience difficulty more often, and will often have trouble digesting the information presented throughout each class period.
What Are The Symptoms Of Information Overload?
How do you know when a child is challenged with information overload instead of simply struggling with a solitary concept? Some clear markers or symptoms can clue you in. Some of the most prevalent symptoms of information overload include:
· Low energy or mood
· Problems concentrating
· Reduced productivity
· Tiredness
· Vivid dreams
· Problems sleeping
· Decreased cognitive abilities
· Increased blood pressure
· Strong desire to constantly check messages or phone apps
In the classroom, many teachers notice these symptoms of information overload:
· Being distracted — The vast scope of technology available today can lead to children becoming easily distracted and contribute to shorter attention spans in kids.
· Indecisiveness — There may be so many ideas floating around in a child’s brain that they become indecisive about what they need to do next, what information they should grab onto, and what they should allow to pass them by. For older students, this type of information overload can blur the lines between non-credible and credible sources for information, and/or a focus on more trivial facts instead of key information.
· Impaired skills for research — Many teachers believe kids in the digital age have trouble differentiating between the quality of information they come into contact with. Some students have trouble recognizing bias, which will present a problem going forward in their lives. Kids need to learn what information is relevant and credible and what is not.
· Stress — Information overload can lead to psychological stress, a problem only expected to grow from this point forward as the digital landscape becomes more saturated.
All of these things can be a sign of information overload. Moderation is the key to helping with the absorption of knowledge and avoiding these types of symptoms that put a child’s mental and even physical health in jeopardy.
Ways To Overcome Information Overload
The answer to dealing with information overload isn’t to cut information out of your child’s life — that would be impossible, of course! The aim is to understand the risks children are exposed to and utilize strategies to help the brain function more normally amid a bombardment of information.
A few ways you can work to manage information overload in children include:
1. Filter information — Help your child by only reading or listening to information that is useful or that you feel enhances their knowledge and understanding. Help your child learn to ignore information they don’t need.
2. Choose sources carefully — Different opinions on important topics are needed, but more isn’t always better. Choose reliable sources for information and stick with those sources.
3. Create limits — Does your child need to scroll social media every morning over breakfast? It might be a good idea to set a time limit for online activities and allow something like only 10 minutes per day to help reduce outside noise and increase focus on the important things.
4. Prioritize — Some things are more important than others. Don’t allow a child to overload their schedule with too many activities that require their absolute attention. Focus on the activities that are most important and complete those first, then use leftover time or energy on other pursuits.
5. Learn to say no — This is a tough one, but also a very valuable skill to teach a child. Help them learn to say no if they are already feeling overwhelmed or if they simply cannot finish the work they do have. Anything extra will only lend itself to information overload and make the important things that much harder to finish.
Information overload can be difficult to combat in this day and age, but it is possible. It’s something all children need to learn in order to navigate the world and keep their mental and physical health strong. And at Teachers1on1, we’re here to help kids do just that!
