Storytelling and the “information overload”

Abstract

Purpose

This article seeks to examine the various functions served by storytelling, from its origins in prehistoric times to the post‐industrial age.

Design/methodology/approach

Historical records are rich in stories, yet they seldom provide the full social context in which these were told. This article attempts to reconstruct part of that context on the basis of anthropological and biological theories.

Findings

Storytelling appears to have developed in archaic times as a means to organize vast and confusing amounts of information. It retains that function and becomes particularly important in transitional times such as the present.

Practical implications

Today, however, neither empirical nor theoretical analysis is able to cope with the information overload caused by new electronic media. As traditional markers of identity such as ethnicity and class become elusive, individuals, and companies as well, need to articulate their stories in order to define themselves.

Originality/value

This article places storytelling, arguably the most traditional of arts, in the context of a culture dominated by electronic media, thus helping people and institutions to use the power of narrative.

Citation

Sax, B. (2006), "Storytelling and the “information overload”", On the Horizon, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 165-170. https://doi.org/10.1108/10748120610708078