Dr P.G.J. Hendriks Vettehen (Paul)

Within hardly more than a decade, the rise of broadband, the rise of mobile communication, and the rise of social media have led to a situation in which we are day-by-day being exposed to an endless stream of information. Moreover, the intense competition for our attention has made this stream of information particularly being saturated with high-paced information, information that contains lots of emotion and salient incidents, and information that is increasingly directed toward us personally. Finally, the technological devices we use to receive the information become ever more immersive, with larger screens, high definition screens, surround sound systems, and even VR.
Governments, news organizations, and political actors wonder how to respond to this situation. How can they fulfill their task of providing people with the information that is relevant to their functioning as democratic citizens? To help answering this question, Paul Hendriks Vettehen investigates the consequences that this new information environment has on information selection and processing.

• Behavioural Science Institute