Information, persuasion and freedom: Implications of communications technology

摘要

By examining what constitutes persuasive communication and when it can be considered to be an obstacle to freedom, the author discusses the implications of communications technology for human decision-making. An argument is made that information overload can restrict freedom by affecting man's capacity to process and evaluate information by short-circuiting the rational thought process. Because the control and dissemination of information can be used to alter human behavior, it is important to start investigating the impact of information management in terms of its economic, political and sociological aspects.