Last updated
30 Jun
2025
By
Steffin Abraham
Duration
x
min
Published on
05 Sep 2023
By
Louise McNutt
Recent data shows that the world produces over 403 million terabytes of data each day. This is about 147 zettabytes per year. Analysts expect the data to reach 181 zettabytes by the end of 2025. This includes everything from emails and videos to IoT device signals and AI-generated outputs.
More than 90 percent of the world’s data was created in just the last two years. It is difficult to concentrate for long periods.
This is due to internal emails, corporate news, platform alerts, and real-time messages on tools like Slack or Teams.The large amount of information we see every day is overwhelming. It affects our focus and mental health. It also impacts how well we work and the environment.
Employees today face an endless stream of digital input. It is difficult to concentrate for long periods. This is due to internal emails, company news, platform alerts, and real-time messages on tools like Slack or Teams.
According to Harvard Business Review, 38 percent of employees feel overwhelmed by the communication they receive. Workers experience interruptions every 3 to 11 minutes, and they take approximately 23 minutes to regain focus.
The cost is not only psychological. A recent study says that information overload costs the U.S. economy up to one trillion dollars each year. This loss comes from lower productivity and less innovation.
Consequences include:
Clearly, it is in every organization’s best interest to recognize and manage this challenge.
Employees often receive updates through multiple redundant channels, making it difficult to prioritize what matters. A recent survey revealed that 47.7 percent of employees believe that reducing email volume would improve their job satisfaction.
It is important to ask:
Choosing the right medium helps control the amount of information sent. It also increases the chances that people will understand and remember it.
Chat platforms are often overused, causing important information to be buried under irrelevant messages. Over time, team members may begin to ignore alerts altogether.
A practical solution is to adopt a Digital Asset Management (DAM) platform to centralize communications. With structured workflows:
This approach ensures that everyone stays focused on their part of the process—nothing more, nothing less.
Consumers are no less affected by digital noise. An estimated 6,000 to 10,000 advertisements reach the average person each day across platforms.
In this environment, businesses risk people ignoring them or unsubscribing if they over-communicate or lack relevance.
To avoid communication fatigue:
A targeted, data-driven approach ensures that content is both relevant and welcome.
Sending out content is only the beginning. Monitoring how audiences respond across channels is essential to continuous improvement.
With the right stack in place—such as a DAM integrated with your CMS and CRM—you can:
This helps ensure your communications stay effective without overwhelming your audience.
The digital world also carries a physical cost. The International Energy Agency says data centers use about 1 to 1.5 percent of the world's electricity. This amount is likely to rise as digital communication increases.
Uploading, storing, and sharing large volumes of redundant or duplicate files increases this energy demand.
Using a well-integrated MarTech stack helps reduce unnecessary file transfers, uploads, and cloud usage. For example:
The result is a leaner, more sustainable digital ecosystem.
Teams often create or save duplicate versions of the same asset across different platforms. This not only causes confusion but also bloats storage and increases energy usage.
A DAM system helps by:
Over time, this eliminates waste, reduces costs, and improves content governance.
Information overload has broad consequences—for your employees, your customers, and the planet. But by being strategic about communication, technology, and workflows, businesses can regain control.
The right systems do not just reduce noise—they improve clarity, performance, and sustainability.
If your teams feel overwhelmed and your content is scattered, think about how a DAM platform can help. It can simplify your work and reduce unnecessary complexity.
You can start by requesting a demo to see how it works in practice.