Mental Health Preservation in the Era of Overconnectedness: Strategies to Safeguard Your Brain in an Interconnected Universe
Infobesity, a portmanteau of "information" and "obesity," is a growing concern in today's digital age. This condition, first theorized by economist Bertram Myron Gross in the early 1960s, refers to an information overload that can lead to pathology[1].
Personal Impact
In personal settings, infobesity can have detrimental effects on mental health. Excessive exposure to digital stimuli, such as constant social media use or doomscrolling, results in heightened stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms[1][3]. This overexposure can lead to information fatigue and burnout, avoidance behavior, and decreased motivation to seek help[1].
Moreover, infobesity can disrupt sleep patterns. The blue light emitted by smartphones suppresses melatonin (sleep hormone), causing cognitive excitement that is detrimental to sleep[1]. This, in turn, can lead to reduced life satisfaction.
Professional Impact
In professional environments, infobesity hampers cognitive performance and productivity. It causes mental exhaustion, difficulty focusing on tasks, and impairs decision-making and processing complex information[1]. This can increase error susceptibility and slow reaction times[1].
Infobesity can also contribute to burnout, leading to permanent anxiety, a sense of frustration, inefficiency, and guilt within the professional space[1]. Relational troubles can arise due to excessive messaging use and continuous smartphone consultation, which can alter the quality of interpersonal relationships.
Preventive Strategies
Preventive strategies focus on limiting exposure to excessive information, practicing digital hygiene, and developing information management skills and media literacy to better cope with information flow[1][2].
In the private space, education and media awareness can help address misinformation or disinformation as the amount of information increases, making it difficult to distinguish good from bad information. In a professional context, raising awareness among employees is crucial.
Addressing Infobesity
A useful tool for prioritizing tasks in the process of managing information overload is the Eisenhower matrix[2]. Solutions also include limiting information sources, carefully selecting relevant applications and social networks, planning disconnection times, prioritizing face-to-face exchanges, and curating information[2].
In 2016, the right to disconnect was introduced into the French Labor Code, imposing regulations for the use of digital tools to ensure respect for rest and leave times, as well as personal and family life[2].
Infobesity affects individuals cognitively, impacting concentration and memory, and emotionally, causing mental overload. In a society where everything becomes urgent, relational troubles appear, and exhaustion can lead to burnout[1]. It's essential to address infobesity to maintain mental health, improve productivity, and ensure a better quality of life.
[1] - Reference for academic research [2] - Reference for practical advice or guidelines [3] - Reference for psychological studies on infobesity and mental health impact
- In the realm of health-and-wellness, continuous exposure to technology and its associated digital stimuli can exacerbate mental-health issues due to increased stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, often leading to avoidance behavior, information fatigue, and burnout.
- The impact of technology and science on the professional scene is not always positive, as infobesity hinders cognitive performance, productivity, and decision-making capabilities, potentially leading to burnout and impaired interpersonal relationships.
