Essay on Information
Knowledge about anything that is given or received is information. Information helps us to learn and understand the things around us. People use information to make sense of the world they live in. The knowledge they gain from the information they receive helps them in making informed decisions. People should know where to look for information. It can be sourced from books, magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias, journals, websites and blogs and literally from anywhere.
Information is classified into different types. Instructions prompt people on what, when and how to perform certain tasks in simple ways. Simple signs communicate information that helps in decision-making based on the instructions displayed. Some information directs people with straightforward statements like ‘Remove footwear’ or ‘Do not drink and drive’ known as command messages. Certain information can be advisory in nature such as the delayed arrival and departure of trains in railway stations. Statutory warnings like ‘Smoking is injurious to health’ and ‘Alcohol drinking is injurious to health’ bring awareness and alert people of the dangers of getting addicted.
Information overload is a problem that all of us face in this era where we are bombarded with information from the time we wake up. Free information is spilled into our lives by the media. Now the responsibility rests on us not to fall prey to many unscrupulous and dubious messages. Hence, ignoring some and not feeling guilty about it is one way of dealing with overload. When dealing with information prioritize to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Skimming the information to capture the main points should be practiced. Filtering the volume of information to focus on the relevant ones should be done to maintain our sanity.
