"I Can't Think!" by Sharon Begley

This article explores the information overload that members of our society often feel. It has been shown that when a person is trying to process too much information at once, parts of their brain "shut off" and our ability to make smart, creative decisions is hindered. This phenomenon is especially perpetuated by advancing technology. The internet provides immediate access to more information than we could ever use and laptops and smartphones mean that we can essentially carry this information with us! Over analyzing situations (i.e. collecting too much data) can even make people less satisfied with a choice even if it is well informed, because people will begin to think about what could have happened if they chose something different.

I can definitely identify with information overload. Sometimes when I come home after a long day of classes and try to do my homework I'll find (usually the next day if/when I check my work) that things I'm wrote down were poorly written or didn't make a whole lot of sense. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to give your mind a break after a long day, but when you have a lot on your plate that can be a difficult task. However, as Begley pointed out, some of our most creative ideas can occur when we do take a break from our information-heavy lives.

It is a struggle to manage time and the amount of information you are trying to process without getting overwhelmed. This is something I will have to keep in mind as a teacher. The last thing I want is for my students to simply shut down during class or while attempting to do homework at home! As the article said, the brain is not very good at simply ignoring unimportant information. Because of that I will attempt to make my lessons as clear as possible while I teach and I will try to build time into my school day during which my students can hopefully have a break from the intense amount of information they usually have to deal with