Drinking from the fire hose

It's no surprise to read that U.S. workers are "exposed to this fire hose of information," says Roger Bohn, a professor of management at the University of California, San Diego, and co-author of the "How Much Information?" report.

"Your capacity to drink is the same as it always was, but there's a bigger puddle around you when you're done of stuff you weren't able to assimilate," he adds.

IBMers send 12 million instant messages to each other per day, John Rooney in the CIO's office told The Wall Street Journal.

The average worker spends about 25% of the day searching for needed information, getting back to work after an interruption and dealing with other effects of information overload. IBM offers a variety of helpful tips, but the sheer volume of information suggests many of us aren't following them.

Balanced?

The blogger Modernmami mused on work-life balance and linked to several good articles on the topic. I wonder about any topic so discussed, debated and dissected, yet with so little progress in our society. But maybe reading these tips or reminders help some.

BTW, I prefer to think of it as life balance, not work-life balance. I need my non-work life in balance too.

Why are you watching this?

A new Australian study shows that someone who spends an average of two hours a day in front of a computer monitor is 36 percent more susceptible than someone who spends none, even if they're not obese and exercise. It also raises the risk of dying from cancer by 8 percent, and all causes 11 percent.

I'm outta here.

Old Fogies

Studies show younger children are incredibly adept at multitasking. A Cal State Dominguez Hills professor says 16-18-year olds perform 7 tasks, as average, such as texting, sending IM and checking Facebook while watching TV. People in their early 20s can handle only 6, and those in their 30s even less.

Me? I'm lucky I was able to publish this.

Alone in a sea of friends

One in four Americans report having no close confidants, up from one in 10 25 years ago. The figures date from 2004, so there's little doubt that Facebook, Twitter and the rest have exacerbated the situation. So, concludes William Deresiewicz, writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education, the more people we know, the lonelier we get.

Goodbye and good riddance

Teachable moment. Czar. Shovel-ready. Sexting. Bromance.

Lake Superior State University's Word Banishment Committee has issued its list of words and phrases it says should be...er...unfriended.

Last year's list included maverick and staycation. Here's the complete list, if you can wrap your head around it.

About my neighbor

One aspect of diversity no one discusses is the irritation factor at work caused by the physical layout of your office -- primarily open space or cubicles. Why is this illustrative of diversity? Because the physical workplace is now more diverse, with people likely to have widely different habits, preferences and sensitivities.

Consider co-workers who talk loudly on the phone, babble on about personal problems or slurp their coffee. Nothing new to me -- I worked in a newsroom for years with reporters pounding on typewriters and shouting into the phone. But it's a relatively new phenomenon to many who are used to offices with doors shut. And it's irritating.

You can try tuning it out. You can try headphones. And if all else fails, you may need to talk to the person when your coping strategies have failed. Experts advise you be as neutral and nonjudgmental as possible, and understand that people may be completely unaware that they are being annoying. And remember they may see you the same way.