Then she is puzzled by how to deal with so much information. Besides, the long periods of surfing the net cause some physical problems like headaches, dizziness and rapid heartbeat.

Lucy's problems are common among people in modern society.

Since entering the information age, people have been inundated by information from various channels. The abundant information has brought many benefits, but it has also caused some side effects, particularly a symptom called "indigestion of information."

"People are drowned by the flood of information. They are controlled or led by the information instead of taking the initiative to use it properly," said Sang Biao, deputy director of the Department of Psychology at East China Normal University.

People suffering from information indigestion usually collect excessive information from the Internet, newspapers and other channels. However, they haven't enough time to carefully read and analyze all of it and use the useful parts.

As time passes, the undigested information piles up, which causes anxiety for the collector.

According to psychologists, collecting information is the beginning of a process for the collector. The desire to obtain appropriate data or make full use of information push him to take the next step of handling the information.

If he fails to use the information as expected, he has interrupted the process and his desire can't be satisfied. This will cause him anxiety, frustration, agitation and other mental discomforts.

For those who do manage to digest all of the information they have compiled, the mental burden may be more than their brains can handle. The result can be dizziness and headaches, and normal thought processes can be affected.

Most of people suffering from such "indigestion" are media workers, company managers, researchers and others whose work requires huge amounts of information.

The symptom is also related to one's personality. Experts believe that emulative and introverted people, and those who strive for perfection, are at greater risk of experiencing the syndrome.

Mental health experts suggest the following measures to prevent and cure the problem.

Don't worry if information is missed or lost. It's impossible to gather all the information about a subject, and trying will only end in frustration.

Set a clear target before collecting information. This can guide you to the necessary information and avoid wasting time on useless details.

Handle the collected information regularly, perhaps once a week. Classify the useful data and delete the useless information as soon as possible.

If indigestion symptoms are persistent, consult a psychologist in a hospital or mental health centre.

(Shanghai Star 03/22/2001)