--- title: "Thursday Buzz: Information Overload? Not So Much" id: "36171" type: "post" slug: "thursday-buzz-information-overload-not-so-much" published_at: "2016-12-08T22:36:28+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T16:46:33+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/12/08/thursday-buzz-information-overload-not-so-much/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/12/08/thursday-buzz-information-overload-not-so-much.md" excerpt: "A new survey from Pew suggests that people tend to handle a lot of information well, especially with the help of technology. Also: Who should manage a project if you don’t have a project manager?" taxonomy_category: - "Learning" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "digital skills" - "information management" - "media literacy" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Thursday Buzz: Information Overload? Not So Much It feels like there’s more information out there than ever, doesn’t it? Even if that’s the case, we’re handling it better, [according to a new survey from Pew Research Center (opens in a new tab)](http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/12/07/information-overload/) . The firm notes that while information has become more prevalent, just 20 percent of people feel information overload, up slightly from 18 percent in 2013 but down a bit from 2006, when the number was 27 percent. Additionally, the report adds that even with the recent spike of concerns about fake news, more than 80 percent of respondents noted that they felt like they were generally able to discern what was real news and what was fake. “The survey shows that most Americans are comfortable with their abilities to cope with information flows in their day-to-day lives,” [Pew’s John B. Horrigan writes (opens in a new tab)](http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/12/07/information-overload/) . “Moreover, those who own more devices are also the ones who feel more on top of the data and media flows in their lives.” The people who do feel the effects of that data overload, the report says, are those who don’t have as much technology at their disposal. So the lesson for associations might be this: You don’t need to worry about drowning your members in information—as long as those members can parse and manage it. ### Project-Management Pitfalls > DIY project management? Prepare for challenges your in-house PM will face. [https://t.co/GxgyAOI48T (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/GxgyAOI48T) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/cZ4s30l97n (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/cZ4s30l97n) > > — DelCor (@delcor) [December 8, 2016 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/delcor/status/806892989243150337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Trying to get your big project sorted in-house** requires someone who’s on the ball; without a dedicated person on staff, things can fall apart. But who should you rely on to lead? In a blog post, DelCor Senior Consultant of Technology Management Diane Stoner breaks down what your organization should be looking for. “When the person in charge doesn’t have project management expertise and experience, projects can go south in all kinds of ways,” she explains. If you need a project manager but don’t have one in your budget, there are still strategies to ease the problem. [Check DelCor’s post for more details (opens in a new tab)](https://www.delcor.com/resources/blog/how-to-minimize-the-perils-of-diy-project-management) . ### Other Links of Note **“For new media companies, Twitter is the afterthought”:** *Digiday* highlights how media organizations, once heavily focused on Twitter, [are now starting to look in other directions (opens in a new tab)](http://digiday.com/publishers/shadow-facebook-twitter-loses-traction-publishers/) to get noticed. **Animated GIFs can look great in emails,** but they come with plenty of pitfalls. [The email service Informz discusses the strategies (opens in a new tab)](http://www.informz.com/blog/design-2/optimizing-animated-gifs-email/) necessary to make your messages look good even when the GIFs don’t animate. **Use Google? Use Slack?** If you use both, you might be interested to know that the companies [are working to better integrate (opens in a new tab)](https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/07/slack-and-google-announce-partnership-focused-on-better-integrating-their-services/) their respective services. (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#digital skills](https://associationsnow.com/tag/digital-skills/) [#information management](https://associationsnow.com/tag/information-management/) [#media literacy](https://associationsnow.com/tag/media-literacy/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoTechnology at Any AgeDecember 18, 2012](https://associationsnow.com/2012/12/18/technology-at-any-age/) - [VideoWeb Improvements on a ShoestringFebruary 24, 2012](https://associationsnow.com/2012/02/24/web-improvements-on-a-shoestring/) - [VideoReggie Henry talks about associations as information organizations.January 14, 2009](https://associationsnow.com/2009/01/14/reggie-henry-talks-about-associations-as-information-organizations/) - [VideoAmerican College of Emergency Physicians: ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation ProgramSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-college-of-emergency-physicians-acep-geriatric-emergency-department-accreditation-program/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2016%2F12%2F08%2Fthursday-buzz-information-overload-not-so-much%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !