5. Technology Can Impact Creativity
in the book, “Defeating the 8 Demons of Distraction: Proven Strategies to Increase Productivity and Decrease Stress,” Dr. Geraldine Markel gives an example of how technology ruins the creative process — and the work process: “Steve is extremely bright and creative. He enjoys surfing the internet and discovering new ideas. As a word or concept pops into his mind his fingers tap him into unchartered territory. Four or more hours can fly by. Unfortunately, these internet explorations distract him from completing his projects. On the one hand, Steve is an ‘idea generator’ at a public relations firm, so he needs to keep abreast of new developments. On the other hand, he still has to complete his projects.” When not controlled, she writes, Steve’s “curiosity” becomes a hindrance and erodes his performance and potential.
6. Technology Can Interrupt Romance, Friendship, and Parenting
Do you really need a scientific study to prove this? Just check out the look on your child, spouse, friend, or colleague’s face when you sneak a look at your phone while they’re talking to you. “Research and various studies have demonstrated the importance of attachment to other people on how well we cope with life, feel safe in relationships, and manage stress,” writes John O’Neill, director of addiction services at the Menninger Clinic in Houston, in “Time to Disconnect? Technology overload damages relationships, but is it an addiction?”. “Furthermore, we know that children who suffer from attachment disorders struggle with trust, superficial relationships, poor peer relationships, lying, fear of intimacy, shame, and feeling alone.”
O’Neill gives an example of a father and son at a baseball game, where the father is too busy talking on his cell phone to notice his son’s attempt at catching a home run. “What could have been a significant bonding moment was derailed by the father’s inability to disconnect from technology,” he writes. “Observing people on a daily basis, it is easy to recognize how lost we have become in our own worlds. Talking on the phone, returning messages, playing games, listening to music on headphones that block out the world and other examples illustrate how easy it is to escape.”
7. Technology Can Be Isolating
“Mobile phones, computers, and other such tools enable us to communicate so easily, they trick us into believing that we will be able to satisfy our communication needs when, at best, they are able to give us only a small portion of what we actually need,” writes Harley Hahn, who coined the phrase “island syndrome” to define our state of isolation and dependence on technology today. Technology continually seduces us by promising to give us what we want, and we don’t understand what is happening. “This is why so many people keep phoning, text-messaging, instant messaging, and emailing one another without ever feeling satisfied enough to stop: it is a combination of seductive technology, bad communication habits, and ignorance of our real needs. We are betrayed continually by a confluence of forces that promise to fulfill us without actually doing so.”
8. Technology Can Be An Addiction
According to a phone survey conducted by Stanford University back in 2006 — before the crazed Twitterverse — more than one in eight adults in the United States showed signs of being addicted to the internet. “Addicts” showed signs of compulsive internet use, habitually checking email, websites, and chat rooms. More than 8 percent of the 2,513 respondents said they hid their use from partners. “We often focus on how wonderful the internet is — how simple and efficient it can make things,” elaborated lead author Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, clinical assistant professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of Stanford’s Impulse Control Disorders Clinic. “But we need to consider the fact that it creates real problems for a subset of people.”
In then end, technology is not evil — like anything else, it must be used in moderation. As O’Neill writes, “Technology has enormous benefits that assist us on a daily basis. Cell phones help us keep up with family, friends, and business and assist us in an emergency. The internet is a wonderful resource filled with knowledge and endless learning opportunities. Evidence shows that video games can improve various motor skills and problem-solving skills. The hope is that we can apply technology with a healthy balance and set limits.”
This article was originally published in Brain World Magazine’s Winter 2012 issue.
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