Information overload has been a challenge for humanity throughout history, prompting the development of systems for sorting and indexing information. Concerns about the overwhelming abundance of knowledge have persisted, raising fears of cultural anxiety and even madness. In the digital age, these worries have intensified, impacting our ability to navigate online data and focus on what truly matters. The author builds on historical and contemporary scholarship to create a framework for understanding life in a society flooded with information. This exploration emphasizes the interpretations, emotions, and practices individuals adopt to manage this abundance in daily life. Through extensive fieldwork and survey research in Argentina, the author investigates how cultural and structural factors influence the relationship between information availability and its implications for individuals, media, politics, and society. This book offers the first comprehensive account of information abundance in the Global South, concluding that such abundance contributes to societal unrest, reshapes our relationships, and leads to a dual depreciation of facts alongside an increased appreciation for fictions.
