Question: Reply to below in a minimum of 150 words
According to Potter (2011), the human "fight or flight" reflex prepares the body to respond to a threat perceived by increasing blood pressure and heart rate; these physical changes help us either fight the perceived threat or run away to safety. I often wonder what role this automatic physiological response has to sensory and informational overload. Although the brain is hard-wired to automatically perform some tasks, near-constant media exposure means that our brains have to find ways to cope with informational overload on a daily basis (Potter, 2011). Two ways in which our brains cope are to multi-task and to prioritize. Efficiency is a possible substantial benefit of multitasking, but sometimes multitasking means none or some of the tasks are not done thoroughly. Prioritizing can help create order because it determines which tasks need to be completed first, and which can wait (Potter, 2011). Personally, although prioritizing is a necessary part of life, often there is so much information that prioritizing can mean leaving some important tasks or steps out. Has anyone ever experienced a "fight or flight" response to the stress of information overload? I have, my reactions to it tend to vacillate between tackling everything I need to do at once or procrastinating- leaving everything until the last minute.