What is the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do before bed?
For many people, the answer is checking their smart phone or other device that is connected to the Internet. And it doesn’t stop there: studies show that most people check their mobile phone on average 150 times a day!
Tristan Harris, a former Google employee, design ethicist, and founder of Time Well Spent, explains that the reason why our phones are so compelling is that they are made this way by design. Just like gambling plays on the reward center of our brain, so does our phone. He goes on to describe that the mobile phone is like slot machine with the refresh feature as its lever: every time we go to our phones and refresh, we are essentially waiting eagerly for some notification. This reward system sets us up to expect a dopamine hit and this expectation, though mostly unconscious, becomes very difficult to resist. How many times have you received a notification sound, checked your phone and then been sucked down the rabbit hole, only later to regret the time wasted?
According to Mr. Harris, this is no accident. He reveals that tech companies, like Google and Apple, are exploiting this part of our brains by designing apps that garner as much of our attention as possible because this is the way we will see the advertisements that pay for these apps. The more these companies have our attention, the more money they make. He describes our current situation as an “arms race to get our attention” which has led to the “attention economy”.
So what can we do about this? First of all, it is important to acknowledge that this technology is here to stay, that it is a tool that is supposed to benefit us and help make life easier. However, it is important that we begin to regain control of our devices; otherwise we may find that our devices are controlling us!
Next, take some simple steps:
Keep your phone and computer out of your bedroom. Get an alarm clock instead. Wake up the way you want to, not the way Silicon Valley thinks you should.
Put time limits on your router at home to limit the amount of time you are tempted to stay plugged in. OpenDNS is open source and can be installed to include parental controls as well.
Move! Tech companies are in an arms race to get your attention. This means they have to ratchet up their content in such a way as to grab your attention from their competitor and this means things are getting more and more outrageous and provocative. As a result, we are feeling more and more anxious and depressed because we are in a constant state of emergency. Unplug, go outside, and move. Physical activity is one of the most effective stress-busters and being out in nature is soothing too.
Have conversations with real people. We are moving more and more to communicating in catchy sound bites. Give yourself the opportunity to sit down with someone and actually have an uninterrupted conversation about something you care about. Studies show that it takes on average more than 23 minutes to regain your concentration once you have been interrupted! Turn off your phone and give yourself the joy and fulfillment of connecting with another human being in real time.
Get involved. Join organizations like Time Well Spent to help foster awareness of this issue and to encourage tech companies to create products that are in alignment with our human values, not just the bottom line.
Like all innovations, technology is meant to improve our lives. However, if we leave its impact unexamined, we may find ourselves worse off. Let’s work together to increase our awareness of this issue. Our time, after all, is a precious thing to waste.
For more information, please visit:
‘Our minds can be hijacked’: the tech insiders who fear a smartphone dystopia | Technology | The Guardian
Waking Up with Sam Harris #71 – What is Technology Doing to Us? (with Tristan Harris)
Time Well Spent: http://www.timewellspent.io
Copyright 2018 – by Claudia Dommaschk MFT – All Rights Reserved.
