‘It never seems to stop’ Six high school students’ experiences of information overload

Abstract

Introduction. The paper explores high school students' experiences of information overload in the context of their studies, investigating its causes and how they manage it.

Method. Data was collected through qualitative interviews with six students aged 13-16.

Analysis. A thematic content analysis was applied to discern patterns and themes in the students' experiences.

Results. All informants had experienced information overload, but how and to which degree it manifested differed between them. The most common trigger was encountering complex information, followed by passive exposure to large amounts of information over time. Students primarily responded to information overload by losing attention, while some also reported negative emotions such as irritation and sadness.

Conclusion. The findings reveal that high school students frequently experience information overload in the context of their schoolwork. Personal vulnerabilities seemed to influence the extent in which they experienced information overload.