We are moving towards a networked world. Towards a world where information flow defines the behavior of societies. Information forms the basis of how we make decisions. What role could information and communication devices play in this new world? Can this new flood of info change the way humans interact and make decisions? Does the control of information necessarily imply power?
There are three components of information, as far as the mind can understand. One, is the pure content of the information, and the second, the tone and hidden content of the information. Add to this, the conclusions that are already in our mind connect to the new information, in order to reinforce or degenerate themselves. These three components of information deliver the complete content and intent of the message. Now, the mind has knowledge of that particular entity.
Thanks to technology, and particularly the internet, the flow of information has become as simple as the touch of a key. As more and more people plug in to the internet as a source of information and entertainment, the roles of traditional media are being challenged. More information is now available for less or no cost. Further, the information is dynamic, allowing for real time inputs and actions. The introduction of blogs, message boards, Wikipedia, social networking sites and most of all, efficient search engines has made the the flow of information easier than ever. This is expected to only increase and accelerate in the future, with more and more people plugging in. This could also mean an increasingly skewed world where in the societies with free flow of information have a distinct edge over others which do not, due to restrictive practices or lack of resources. But, as more and more nations are realizing, in a world that is not uniform in resources, information is the only commodity that is free to be exchanged all over. But, paradoxically, this information could be viewed as the most precious resource, not only as a source of human capital, but also in developing a better, evolved societies, of individuals with broader perspectives. This could enable a sea change in global economics, and even human behavior with economies competing for human resources and ideas.
However, this new and emerging world of information has certain characteristics that need to be examined.
- One, the information on the internet, as the controversy on Wikipedia illustrated, need not be assuredly factual.
- Second, the tone of information is a critical component of how the mind understands the information. Hence, as more and more people join in the information bandwagon, there is a high chance that information is misinterpreted along the long line of hops. This may result in skewed understanding of the information at the end.
- Third, in this vast and almost limitless amount of digital data, how do we pinpoint on the information we need? Simple information, such as the price of a product is not a big deal. But, serious issues such as discussions and opinions on topics such as politics, ethics, society, sustainability, are all dependent on inferences and arguments, which generally are subjective. Amongst the huge amount of data, where do we look for issues? Even if we looked at issues, how do we decide on an argument, between thousands of opinions and views?
At this point, it seems to me that as the contributors to the debate increase, the observant person is confused with too many views. While most are generally illogical and hence can be discarded, he/she will be left with multiple views on the state of the society. People who strongly believe in ideologies tend to rubbish all other arguments except for the one that supports their view. Others, who are open to new ideas may be dumbfounded by the number of views that surround them. The sheer number of perspectives offered to them could make them puzzled and could result, finally, in inaction.
I am not speaking against a broader and a larger participation in the new information age, but am pointing out that the result of such an influx of opinions, could be inaction. Whether inaction is the right action, well, lets leave that to another time.
Tags: information, information age, internet, mind, networked society, perspective, Society, technology
