What is Infoxication? Definition of Infoxication, Infoxication Meaning and Concept

The term infoxication refers to the over-information that exists, and the impossibility of focusing on specific information, or of delving into that data due to the continuous bombardment that exists in the media.

The Internet has caused a true revolution. Almost everyone has access to the online world, profiles on social networks, digital platforms and use of various digital devices. There are no longer only traditional means to inform yourself, but there is also a great variety of digital media.

All this leads to the existence of a large amount of media and information accessible to any user.

This concept has its origin in 1970 from the hand of Alvin Toffler through his book, Future Shock.

The Internet is a breeding ground for exchanging information, advertising, knowledge, services or videos. In other words, a place where a great variety of data is exchanged that is available to anyone. You can find a huge amount of information, often untrue, constant advertising, and millions of data that require hard work to identify them.

Difference between information and misinformation

Infoxication generates disinformation, which means that an individual instead of being updated on a subject, due to the news and related data, finds himself without knowing with certainty what is happening. This, as a result of the avalanche of related news that exist, and without being able to verify the veracity at times.

The information is to be up to date on a subject, which allows decisions to be made about it, evaluations and to know in depth a situation or specific fact.

Problems of infoxication

These are the most prominent:

• The existence of so-called fake news, or hoaxes that constantly ravage the internet.
• The stress caused by being constantly surrounded by information.
• The little time that exists to delve into a news item, when new data on the same topic have come out after a few seconds.
• The time it takes to be able to verify that a news item is real.
• Continuously assess the media and news that are most in line with reality, and are truthful.
• The constant decision-making about the information received in order to be able to assess it and know if what is being said is really true.

How can the problem of information overload be solved?

These guidelines will be of great help:

• Assess and choose a reference media where to find out and assess the news that is published.
• Investigate what is published, check if the medium is doubtful, if the news is signed, has a date, or an author. If not, they can be hoaxes and we should neither share nor repair them, especially if they are only published in a medium with dubious characteristics.
• Access information for a specific time, not continuously. For example, you can review what happens once a day for 30 minutes.
• To avoid banners, aggressive information, pop-up, security systems can be enabled on the computer so that they can block these types of constant threats.