In today’s world the concept of having ready access to information at all times connotes the use of digital platforms and the internet. Of course, one may have constant access to textbooks if they happen to have them sitting on the bookshelf, however, they may not necessarily be the most recent, appropriate or relevant textbooks for what you require. I think usually, most people would automatically think of accessing information online. Even hardcopy print resources that are still published will also have an online presence. Professional and peer reviewed journals can be accessed online – you don’t even need to spend money, open an account or pay for a license if you don’t want; just get a (free) library card. For example, the NSW State Library will give you access to their range of online databases to anyone who takes a few minutes to fill out an easy online form for a library card. Also, professional organisations’ newsletters and articles, newspapers and magazines all have online versions of their publications. Granted, these aren’t always free, but a lot of it is, and, if you wanted it, nobody’s going to stop you from doing what needs to be done to sign up – I’m sure they’re not publishing digital content so that people never consume their material. So, when considering the ease of access to information via the internet, a few benefits and a few negatives come to mind:

Benefits

  • Efficiency – I can access information at almost anytime, anywhere with the use of smart devices and Wi-Fi/internet. This means I can make better use of my time and manage small, brief or rudimentary research tasks with ease. I can make better use of short moments within the day that I would not otherwise be able to proactively or productively use.
  • I readily have access to a large breadth of information that in many cases is constantly becoming deeper as it is added to. This means that I am potentially more likely to be able to find relevant information for the task at hand (*see negative point #1 for the counter argument to this).
  • I’m not the only one with access to information. I can participate in online groups and forums in which I can share information with others and receive feedback on my own ideas. Participating in and sharing information in this way becomes a collaborative and collegial activity and serves to flesh out, consolidate and reaffirm my thoughts and opinions. Additionally, I may even find that there are flaws in my own thinking which cause me to reassess what I thought I knew. I possibly could be given a fresh approach to a subject or a completely new perspective to consider.

 

Negatives

  • Oh joy, so much information! So. Much. Information. Yes, this can be a problem, especially online content is continuously growing. Whilst the positive is that I could be more likely to find the perfect little nugget that I’m looking for, the mine in which I’m digging for it is expanding to an overwhelming size. I may end up spending an exorbitant amount of time searching in the dark for what I’m looking for.
  • Which leads to my next point – laziness. Perhaps I get sick of searching and sifting through the labyrinthine mine of information and just settle on a sub-par piece of material that could potentially be hazardous. Perhaps it’s not originating from a reputable source? perhaps it’s not current information? Perhaps it’s just plain inaccurate? These are pitfalls of lazy information gathering. It’s easy to think, “Oh, maybe I’ll just go with whatever my first google result says”, especially in the face of so much information. Some people may even justify it to themselves by saying “but I checked all the links from the Google search” but fail to reassess or redefine their search parameters and keywords. I think this type of lazy information gathering is the antithesis of what any TL or educational professional would want to see from their students.
  • Overexposure to information can lead to fatigue, just ask the French! Having ready access to information, all the time, can lead to people constantly connected and constantly consuming information. This could be caused by pressure or stress from work or study and the needs and desires to perform certain associated duties. Knowing when to unplug and cease interacting with the constant flow of information might actually do wonders for your health and wellbeing.

 

I’m sure there are others, if anyone is reading this maybe you can comment on this post and let me know what you think.

 

Thanks!