Infotention according to Howard Rheingold, is the “psycho-social-techno skill/tools” we all need to find our way online today, a mind-machine combination of brain-powered attention skills with computer-powered information filters”.
Our society today is so technologically advanced; we are receiving more information than ever with advertisements attempting to grab our scarce attention. The internet has become a platform enabling anyone with access to it, to become their own publisher. The introduction of smart phones has also enabled anyone with a smart phone to publish online easily. This has led to an increased engagement with these mediums. As a result, this has resulted in more advertisement agencies targeting online users. When I log on to my facebook page either from my mobile phone or computer, advertisements are instantly demanding my attention. On my homepage, there are “recommended like pages”, yet they are not of any interest to me.
However Facebook itself is a distracting tool. When I’m attempting to do my assignment, I often get bored and click on Facebook, and plan to just have a browse for a couple of minutes. However I often get sidetracked and end up procrastinating as well as staying on Facebook for well over an hour. I would also pull out my phone and go on Instagram to prolong this sense of “procrastination”.
According to James temples article “All those tweets, apps, updates may drain brain”, A study was conducted which found evidence that “multitasking impedes short-term memory, especially among older adults”. It was also found that “distractions of the sort that smart phones and social networks present can hinder long-term memory and mental performance”.
As a result, society should attempt to control their navigation online and undertake “infotention” ,“to find, direct, and manage streams of relevant information by using online media knowledgeably” ( Rheingold, 2013).
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