About 20 years ago, a phrase that became collective wisdom between not only business people but also in the social sphere was arising. Everyone said that “we were in the Information Age” or Digital Age. 

Today I’m fascinated with what we are experiencing every day with the information mechanisms we have at hand – and the mobile phone makes it literal – no matter where you are, this is a world that is more connected and closer than ever before. 

Thirteen years ago, social networks hit the global stage, and the media revolution takes an unprecedented pace in a short time. Now the information age was more than tangible. Unimaginable amounts of information begin to reach us like a flood of ideas, images and videos, generating even a professional to manage audiences and the messages directed to them. And like any disruptive change, it can drive very positive outcomes, but also unexpected results. 

I think that in the vast majority of cities where access to the internet and smartphones is relatively simple, people are going through a very peculiar stage, where everyone is permanently harassing their mobile screens like a natural reflex. And this is happening I don’t know how many times a day. 

But beyond statistics, what drives me to write this article, is the fact that a considerable amount of this information that we see on our mobile phones is speculative, devoid of elements of judgment and undoubtedly not true.

I see with great concern that people are now much more polarized and argue for issues in which knowledge unreasonably comes to them and without any strong arguments through applications like WhatsApp, Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, and so many others. 

At this point, it should be essential to let you know that any of these applications seems fantastic to me because they allow us to open the communications spectrum and be closer to each other. 

And I applaud this, use it and admire it. But, on the other hand, this avalanche of digital content, this permanent speculation, has divided us in many aspects and fills us with hasty judgments that do not lead to anything productive, in many scenarios.

For this reason, I invite you to pause a little bit, think about what we are doing with the possibilities that we have at hand. Stop watching this article for a moment (mostly from your cell phones) and to think it through. You will find out that the problem is not the means; the problem is in the way we USE IT. I invite you to take your foot off the gas and look forward. Do not “drive” by staring at your phone… Do not turn this era into the age of misinformation.

Anuar Nazzar