Introduction

I think it is necessary to write something as an introduction (I must admit, I’m writing this introduction last). This essay aims to explore the post-information age, how we get at it, and what it means for us. It offers an insight for those who wish to delve deeper into its complexities.

What is the information?

I would like to start this essay with something that sounds very smart (because who writes the introduction first?), but I’m not very good at it, so we’ll have to settle for a simple analogy. Information is like building blocks – if we want to move forward, we can’t do it without them. But how far can we get with them? What is the ideal goal? The ideal is to gain intelligence. „Gain“ might sound strange, but there’s no other way to become intelligent. No one is born that way; of course, each of us has some predispositions, genetic makeup, but if we don’t develop them, we won’t get anywhere.

How do we get closer to this successful goal? Through acquiring knowledge. When I gain knowledge, context, and understanding, I learn something, and when I learn something, I am closer to being intelligent. Okay, okay, we need to be knowledgeable, but how do we achieve that? And now, here (soon, right?), we return to the beginning with the information – whether it’s ordinary data, numbers, words, and their meanings – these are information.

Information is all around us, in books, on the internet, in conversations with people. Every day we encounter new facts and insights that we can use to expand our horizons. It is important to be open to new information and to keep learning. Only then can we achieve true intelligence and understanding of the world around us.

And so, when we think about how important information is, we realize that without it, we would be lost. It is the foundation of everything we do and what we become. That is why it is so important to constantly seek, process, and use it for our growth and development.

BUT in today’s world, information is an important „commodity.“ It is practically traded, used to train language models, and whether we like it or not, there is an abundance of it. But what can we trust? Anyone can write anything on the internet, whether it’s scientific proof that the Earth is flat or a recipe that might actually be useful. We have entered the Information Age, which might already be coming to an end (we’ll have precise dating in about a hundred years, and children will learn about it in school. Or maybe they won’t…?). I think it would be useful to have a better historical overview of how we got to where we are.

History

When we look far back into the past, we were always taught in school about the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. These periods are so ancient that it might not be worth writing much more about them. However, this brings us to the age of great civilizations, which I find much more interesting.

Ancient Egypt was one of the most important and oldest civilizations in the Mediterranean and the Near East. Its center was in the northeastern part of Africa, in what is now modern-day Egypt, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River up to the first cataract, which served as a natural southern boundary. (Dějepis 1)

Ancient Greece developed an exceptionally advanced culture in various fields, including fine arts, architecture, theater, and science (medicine, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy), as well as rhetoric and politics, where it became the birthplace of democracy. It had a profound influence on the development of Roman culture and, through it, Western civilization. (Dějepis 1)

Rome was an ancient civilization that originated from the city of Rome, founded on the Italian Peninsula, according to legend, in 753 BC by the twins Romulus and Remus (quite an accomplishment for boys raised by a wolf). Rome expanded into a significant part of the ancient world. The form of the Roman government transformed over the centuries from a kingdom to a republic and eventually to an empire. The Roman territory was inhabited by various peoples with different languages, religions, and cultures. (Dějepis 1)

This brings us to a less exciting part of history, sorry, but the Middle Ages didn’t interest me as much. I’ll skip the period from around the 5th century to the 16th century and continue with the Renaissance, Baroque, the discovery of America, and this brings us to the age of industrialization.

Industrial Age

The Industrial Revolution in Britain, which took place between 1760 and 1860, was a period of significant economic and social changes. Key factors that contributed to it included innovations in the textile industry, such as the introduction of machines like the „Spinning Jenny“ and the „Water Frame,“ which greatly increased productivity in cotton manufacturing. The development of the steam engine, invented and improved by Thomas Newcomen and James Watt, provided a new and more efficient source of power for industry, mining, and transportation. Changes in iron and steel production, such as the use of coal as fuel and the development of techniques like „puddling,“ enabled Britain to produce cheap iron and steel, which supported industrial growth. (Clark, 2005)

The rise of railways, combining the steam engine with older horse-drawn tram technology, led to the development of railroads that allowed for the rapid and efficient transportation of goods and people. Improvements in transportation, such as the development of road networks and the construction of canals, reduced transportation costs and facilitated trade. The demographic revolution in Britain, characterized by a sharp increase in population, was likely due to a decrease in the age of marriage and an increase in the number of marriages, provided the workforce needed for the burgeoning industry. (Clark, 2005)

The Industrial Revolution transformed society from an agrarian to an industrial one by creating new job opportunities in factories, where wages were generally higher than in agriculture. This attracted many people and led to urbanization. Consequently, there was an increase in urban population and the development of infrastructure, such as housing, sewage systems, and transportation. However, the rapid growth of cities also caused hygiene and pollution problems.

The revolution also supported the development of a capitalist economy, where factory owners invested in new technologies to increase productivity and profits. On the other hand, the Industrial Revolution led to social inequality, with some people becoming wealthy while others suffered from poverty. (Chen, 2008)

Other negative impacts of the Industrial Revolution included air and water pollution, poor working conditions in factories with long hours, low wages, and a lack of workplace safety, as well as child labour. The migration of people from rural areas to cities also led to a shortage of labour in agriculture and subsequent food shortages. (Chen, 2008)

What should we take from this? The Industrial Revolution had a complex and lasting impact on society, marking the beginning of the Industrial Age. It brought many positive changes, such as economic growth and technological advancement, but also led to social problems like pollution and inequality.

Information Age

„The Renaissance, often considered the last era in history when a person could comprehend all the world’s knowledge, has long passed. Today, not only do we have no chance of knowing all available information, but the figures mentioned below suggest that we are increasingly likely to get lost in the flood of data. On one hand, the speed, capacity, and volume in the ‚digital universe‘ are growing, while on the other hand, the limited performance and boundaries of our brains stand in opposition.“ (Bryndová, 2017)This seems to me the most important thing to mention, and although it might be more appropriate to write about it in the post-information age, I would like to mention it at the beginning of the Information Age.

So, what is specific about it? To which period do we assign it? The Information Age, also known as the Digital Age or Computer Age, is simply the era when technology began to influence people more than ever before, making it no longer a problem to connect with someone on the other side of the planet. This sounds quite idyllic, doesn’t it? Personally, I can’t say what it was like before, but everything has its positives and negatives. If I quote Wikipedia (the “best and most verified source”, I know, but for such a simple summary, it’s not so bad): „The Information Age is a historical period that began in the mid-20th century. It is characterized by a rapid shift from traditional industries, as established during the Industrial Revolution, to an economy centered on information technology. The onset of the Information Age has been linked to the development of the transistor in 1947 and the optical amplifier in 1957. These technological advances have had a significant impact on the way information is processed and transmitted„

Various media monopolies are increasingly losing the ability to control what information is presented to people, creating a window that could diminish the deliberate influence on the minds of many through mass media. However, this brings up the issue of social bubbles. It has never been easier to find people with similar interests. While it’s great that it’s now so easy, there’s a problem when it comes to misinformation or extremist groups. These people will increasingly reinforce each other’s beliefs because someone who might oppose them or at least discuss the issue is unlikely to slip into their social bubble.

So yes, media monopolies no longer have as much power because anyone can try to find different information and perspectives. But why would they do that when they’ve found a group of people who reinforce their beliefs? People are setting traps for themselves and then falling into them. But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself.

Trust in information

As I mentioned before, there is more information than ever, and it’s hard to navigate, let alone identify which information is true. We need to learn how to work with it. The question is, where and when should future generations learn this? In schools? Isn’t that too late given the times we are approaching? At what age should children be taught to verify information? If we teach them too early, they might not grasp it. At the same time, the idea of children verifying the existence of Santa Claus and other such untrue but nice stories or traditions is a bit unsettling.

Anyone can create and share information, so it is very likely that it may not be entirely true, may have been slightly altered, or may simply be completely fabricated. If this happens by mistake, it’s unnecessary and unfortunate, but there’s no point in being angry at the person – they just got it wrong. The problem arises when someone deliberately spreads disinformation. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, disinformation is defined as „false information spread in order to deceive people,“ and that’s quite a problem. This definition emphasizes the intentional aspect of disinformation, which distinguishes it from misinformation, which can be unintentional and based on incomplete or inaccurate information. As I mentioned earlier, mass media no longer have the same chance to control large numbers of people, but here lies the issue. Mass media and their fake news no longer have the same reach, but disinformation spreads like a flood. And yes, this is another trap that people have set for themselves.

So how can we avoid being confused by disinformation? Meta literacy, or „an overarching and self-referential framework that integrates emerging technologies and unifies multiple types of literacy,“ (Mackey and Jacobson, 2011) appears to be a key tool for managing the flood of information and disinformation. It is a comprehensive approach that encompasses and connects various aspects of information literacy and critical thinking. In practice, this involves verifying sources, which is crucial for obtaining reliable information. Not believing everything we read online and actively checking the credibility of sources helps us avoid disinformation. Cross-checking information, that is, comparing information from different sources and looking for similarities and differences, is another important step. Examining the context, asking who created the information, why, and for whom it is intended, allows us to better understand the motivations and intentions of the authors. (Cooke, 2017)

Post – information Age

One of the many things specific to the post-information age is disinformation. The ease of manipulating information and the speed at which it spreads online present challenges for critical thinking and objective perception of reality. We are entering a time when it is necessary to be information literate and to effectively search for relevant information amidst the vast amount available.

Another characteristic of the post-information age is the ubiquity of information and its easy accessibility, which paradoxically leads to overload and loss of orientation. In this environment, it becomes difficult to distinguish relevant information from noise and disinformation. There is also a loss of objectivity and autonomy. Nunberg argues that the online environment blurs the boundaries between documents, genres, and authors. On the web, it is difficult to assess the credibility of information without knowing its source, author, and context, making it impossible to read online documents as objective „information“ separate from the subjectivity and motivations of their creators.

People with lower cognitive capacity are increasingly at risk of information overload because they are more susceptible to it. Information overload is a state where a person is overwhelmed by a large amount of information and has difficulty processing it effectively. This state is characterized by feelings of being overwhelmed, confused, and unable to process information correctly and efficiently. Information overload occurs in many areas, including healthcare. For example, this article mostly addresses information overload related to COVID-19, but cancer patients also frequently feel overwhelmed by the amount, uncertainty, and complexity of information about their illness. People often seek simplified but usually unhelpful information, base their decisions on simple cues, neglect details, and in some cases, avoid processing information altogether. Low-quality information also contributes to information overload because it requires more cognitive resources to distinguish correct information from a large amount of irrelevant and unusable information. (Mao 2022)

A problem that today’s generation faces, which is very likely caused by the age we live in, is the decreasing attention span. How long can we focus on a single topic? The time keeps decreasing. The main cause is social media with short videos that boost dopamine levels. Instagram itself claims: „We use a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes, each with its own purpose. We want to make the most of your time, and we believe that using technology to personalize your experience is the best way to do that.“ They want people to spend as much time as possible on their platform and have algorithms designed to keep people scrolling. Again, another trap we have set for ourselves and for future generations. The pace of life is accelerating incredibly. On the one hand, it’s great how much one can experience in a lifetime, but how much stress, health issues and perhaps even regrets does this lifestyle bring?

What will happen next?

I’ll leave this page here for everyone to reflect on. I don’t know what will happen in the future, and I don’t dare to make predictions; my abilities and education don’t reach that far. I would say that it’s important for people to be careful about what they believe and to try to think critically about it. When I was in high school, we had a teacher who always said, „Think critically, think in context.“ We used to make fun of her, but she was right.

Sources

Cooke, N. A. (2017). Posttruth, Truthiness, and Alternative Facts: Information Behavior and Critical Information Consumption for a New Age. The Library Quarterly, 87(3), 211–221. https://doi.org/10.1086/692298

Nunberg G. (1996). The future of the book. University of California Press.

History 110B A History of World Societies. (1995). American Heritage Custom PublishingGroup.

Paul T. Harig, The Digital General: Reflections on Leadership in the Post-Information Age Parameters 26, no. 3 (1996), doi:10.55540/0031-1723.1790.

Mackey & Jacobson. (n.d.). Reframing Information Literacy as a Metaliteracy | Mackey | College & Research Libraries. College & Research Libraries. https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/view/16132

Zalewska, D. (2019). The specificity of the post-information age. International scientific journal.

Chen, J. (2008, April 20). Industrial Revolution: Definition, History, Pros, and Cons. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/industrial-revolution.asp

Mao B. How do information overload and message fatigue reduce information processing in the era of COVID-19? An ability–motivation approach – PMC. (2022). PMC Home. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9444816/

disinformation. (n.d.). Cambridge Dictionary | English Dictionary, Translations & Thesaurus. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/disinformation

Bryndová, L. (2017). Informační věk | Infodesign. http://archiv.ffa.vutbr.cz/. http://archiv.ffa.vutbr.cz/vskp/www/2012-novotna-katerina-design_informaci_vybrane_tematiky/informacni-vek/index.html

Popelka a Válková. Dějepis 1 pro gymnázia a střední školy. Praha: SPN – pedagogické nakladatelství, 2001.

Instagram. (2021, June 8). Shedding More Light on How Instagram Works. About Instagram | Capture, Create & Share What You Love. https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/shedding-more-light-on-how-instagram-works

Contributors to Wikimedia projects. (2002, September 12). Information Age – Wikipedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Age