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Only
20 percent of U.S. adults feel they get more information than
they can handle, down from 27 percent a decade ago. Just over
three-quarters like having so much information at hand, the
survey of 1,520 people showed.
"Generally, Americans appreciate lots of information and access
to it," said the report into how U.S. adults cope with
information demands.
Roughly four in five Americans agree that they are confident
about using the internet to keep up with information demands,
that a lot of information gives them a feeling of more control
over their lives, and that they can easily determine what
information is trustworthy.
Americans who are 65 or older, have a high school diploma or
less and earn less than $30,000 a year are more likely to say
they face a glut of information.
Eighty-four percent of Americans with online access through
three sources - home broadband, smartphone and tablet computer -
say they like having so much information available.
By contrast, 55 percent of those with no online source felt
overwhelmed by the amount of possible information.
The term "information overload" was popularized by author Alvin
Toffler in his 1970 bestseller "Future Shock." It refers to
difficulties that people face from getting too much information
or data.
The Pew survey involved people over 18 interviewed by landline
or cell phones from March 7 to April 4. The margin of error was
2.9 percentage points, meaning results could vary by that much
either way.
(Reporting by Ian Simpson)
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