Information Pollution - Manifestations of Information Pollution

Manifestations of Information Pollution

Although information pollution can present itself in many formats, its manifestations can be broadly grouped into those that provoke disruption and those that affect the quality of the information.

Typical examples of disrupting information pollutants include unsolicited electronic messages (spam) and instant messages, particularly when used in the workplace. Mobile phones (the ring tones and also the actual conversation) can be very distracting in certain environments. Disrupting information pollution is not always technology based. A common example is unwanted publicity in any format. Superfluous messages, for example unnecessary labels on a map, also constitute an unnecessary distraction. The other type of information pollution manifestation is advertisement in transport and advertising posters at streets (light-boxes, bill-boards, etc.) Advertisement in transport like metro is getting offensive, because its quantity is behind the reasonable need and perception goes down. The effect of such information pollution is reverse, and a person becomes unreceptive to any information. Informationally polluted streets become overloaded with different types of advertisement, information, data, etc. Movement gets dangerous due to attention dissipation, which can cause accidents, including major car incidents.

Alternatively, the information supply may be polluted when the quality of the information is reduced. This may be due to the information itself being inaccurate or out of date but it also happens when the information is badly presented. For example, when the messages are unfocused or unclear or when they appear in cluttered, wordy or poorly organised documents that make it difficult for the reader to understand their meaning. This type of information pollution can be addressed in the context of information quality. Another example is in government work. Laws and regulations in many agencies are undergoing rapid changes and revisions. Government workers' handbooks and other sources used for interpreting these laws are often outdated ( sometimes years behind the changes ) which can cause the public to be misinformed, and businesses to be out of compliance with regulatory laws.