Information overload

A friend suggested today that I needed to get on Facebook. He's on there, posts photos of his kids, and stuff. I told him I didn't want to make the faces of my kids public, and he said not to worry, the only people who had access to your Facebook page are those you allow. OK, fine.

But here's the thing: I'm not going to get on Facebook. I'm sure it's a great idea, and maybe I'd even really like it, but honestly, I'm completely overloaded with information. I've reached my saturation point. I'm on the computer all day long -- 10 hours per day at the office, most days -- reading and writing. I long ago quit being able to keep up with all my e-mail, and I shudder to think of all the people who must think that I'm a jackass because I haven't written back, when the pathetic truth is I simply can't keep up with it all. (My dad, a retiree, got irritated with me the other day when I confessed to him that I never read any of the FW:FW:FW e-mails he sends me). I can't read all the magazines I want to read, nor all (or most, or even some) of the books I want to read. TV? Sometimes there are shows I want to watch, but there's no time, and no ability to focus because there's so much information coming at me from all directions.

Gack, is this what getting old is like? When I was on a information semi-detox last week, I spent a disturbing amount of time thinking about blogging whenever I'd hear some interesting bit of news. It was like a reflex. I wish I could unlearn it. I wish I could learn to be less connected. I don't think there's ever been a time in my life when I've had more pure information in my head, and less time and focus to figure out what it means.