“It’s Just Like . . . a Lot.”: Gen Z, New Student Orientations, and Information Overload
Abstract
the broader media landscape of the 2020s. While there has been a depth of research
regarding IO, there is no formally agreed-upon definition. One definition used in numerous
publications by David Bawden, Clive Holtham, and Nigel Courtney is “information
overload occurs when information received becomes a hindrance rather than a help when
the information is potentially useful.”1 The newest generation arriving on campus, Gen Z,
is a product of their socioeconomic and political environment. Although Gen Z’s age range
varies depending on the source, like other generations, Pew Research Center defines them
as those born between 1997 and 2012
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