Understanding the hyper-informed consumer

Information overload is driving anxiety, especially among Brazilians. We examine this issue from a Latin American perspective and explore how it will impact our lives of tomorrow.

The internet opens up a world of possibilities, but that also means we’re constantly being hit by a barrage of information to stay updated on global news, tune in to newly released shows and movies, and even keep up with family and friends online.

This is causing people to become increasingly anxious, according to Daniela Dantas, VP of WGSN in Latin America. This is especially evident in Brazilians, who are known for their positivity, yet are found to be one of the most anxious people in the world.

Daniela joins Carla Buzasi, CEO at WGSN, to discuss the attitudes and behaviours that have arisen from the outpouring of anxiety, as well as how the hyper-informed consumer will be better equipped to approach issues from a different worldview.

Information overload

“With more access to information, people know more stuff, which is good for one side because you have more information to take better steps and better actions. But on the other side, people are anxious and Brazilians, we are friendly and have a somehow happy culture. But seeing that we are one of the most anxious people in the world, I guess this is connected with the overload of information. And this is not decreasing at all, it is increasing, especially here in Brazil.”

Global awareness is key

“I think we are in the middle of a transition. Maybe I am being a little bit of an optimist, but although we still have a lot of people that are focused in their own bubble, we have people that are seeing outside of the bubble and understanding that we need to treat poverty, inequality and inclusion differently.”

Rejecting the confirmation bias

“This is something that is hard to deal with especially when you’re trying not to be biased, but the first step is actually being aware of how easy it is to look for something that will confirm what you think. This is about human nature – we want to belong, we need to belong. So we unconsciously look for people who think similar to us. And being aware that as human beings we are like that, you need to fight against it.”
– Daniela Dantas, VP of WGSN in Latin America

Head to Apple or Spotify to hear the full discussion on our Lives of Tomorrow podcast episode, Information overload in Brazil.