Addiction has always been a distraction, at least since the moment when the original Flintstone/Hunter-Gatherer generations realized they no longer had to live in constant fear of being annihilated by the natural predators of that era and could begin to focus on more relaxing, enjoyable pursuits.
That said, today's (and no doubt tomorrow's) victims have become mesmerized by seemingly more subtle, benign forms of manipulation as provided by the titans of our so called 'technological' age. Not just by social media and cell phones, but by the ubiquity of blaring screens promoting goods and services appearing nonstop from gas pumps to dentist offices, taxis and funeral homes to name just a few. One antidote I'd recommend: Common sense. Ditto for the phrase, 'everything in moderation.'
'Harmful To Your Health' warnings have become invisible to all.
Without getting too Zen here, practicing true self awareness can be the beginning to overcoming this nasty habit!
of practicing
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Forty years ago people were seen on the street with small ear phones listening to music. We had Walkmen and MP3 devices etc all used to prevent boredom and prevent actual thought. You can't do much thinking with a boombox on your shoulder or in your ears or coming out of your i-phone. Neither can you engage with people around you because all ideas must be imported to you by people who have something to sell or something to hide. Heaven forbid you should actually read a newspaper, when you can play a gave that goes beep, peep, bloop.
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Love our flip phones....check I-Pad coupla times a day for business purposes, sweet.
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I am reading this on my tablet and I agree that everyone has wittnessed or even experienced the technology distraction syndrome. I'm concerned that it is dumming down our society and occuring right before our very eyes. I'm finding it difficult that online newspaper subscription articles are so heavily laced with advertisements, in fact on my tablet there were 11 ads just reading this write up!!! I want to be in formed but online ads are annoying and hard to deal with every 15 seconds. I've wondered if newspapers care if readers actually finish an article, perhaps someone should study this in regard to intentional drumming down effect. Anyway thank you for posting/printing this story - this deserves attention!
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The rise of the new “attention economy.”
New? I think not.
See also, The Attention Economy : Understanding the New Currency of Business Hardcover – June 1, 2001
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Hogwash! Roll-back to 1990 and ask people who would not want a computer in their pocket to find restaurants, post-offices, directions, movie times etc. It's not hard to focus unless you are a lemming. Choose how you use it. Restrictions still works with children.
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Responsible parents (and individuals) limit screen time; as the age-old wisdom tells us, “Everything in moderation.” Parents who actively choose to raise their children with screen-free experiences (as I do with my 9, 11, and 12-year-old) give them benefits over those kids who are consumed by them. My kids know how focus their attention for longer periods of time and how to entertain themselves with tangible activities. They know how to use mobile devices, but they also know how to be without them and not feel lost. And I model this behavior by living a largely smartphone-free lifestyle. I have a laptop for online connection when I need it, but otherwise, when I’m not at work, I walk about the world untethered and live a life less cluttered.
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Thank you for this important article. It made me think of "unintended consequences"--the pervasive theme of 21st century America. Technology for the sake of technology--or so the few can make lots of money; without anyone other than the "market" to determine if it's good for people. We humans are incredibly intelligent in so many ways, but really dumb when it comes to understanding and organizing ourselves. Where will it go when the masses are mesmerized by so-called news and information from unknown sources? (ie: See Jane Mayer's "Dark Money"). Isn't that the inevitable result of screen addiction?
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So, likely few of the tech generation got through this article to the end. More and more it seems to me that we are damaging the next generation by the way that we use technology. Parents (and nannys) who used to interact with little ones now are on park benches or even walking down the street with their eyes affixed to the phone - no interaction with the young.
Recently saw a pre-school class walking along (kids were maybe 3 years old). The kids were holding a rope, the lead adult was engrossed in her cell screen. Thankfully the adult at the end of the group was actually watching the kids.
It's no wonder that when those little kids grow a bit bigger they too shun the world around them for the virtual world. What that does to their ability to form real world relationships and truly live in the world around them is scary to contemplate.
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