Protect our environment from information overload

We are now exposed daily to more information than we can process and this has substantial costs. We argue that the information space should be recognized as part of our environment and call for research into the effects and management of information overload.

A recent study summarizes IOL as a “negative psychological state in which individuals feel that they are receiving too much information, which hinders their ability to carry out their tasks”3, although there is no universally accepted definition (owing to its overlap with cognitive overload). From a psychological perspective, IOL can correspond to cognitive load4 but other components — such as fatigue, attention, time pressure and working-memory capacity — also need to be considered, as IOL is a multidimensional construct that entails cognitive, emotional, contextual and environmental aspects3.