Are We There Yet? vol. 260
I’m sure you have noticed that while standing in line to wait for your coffee at Starbucks or waiting for just about anything, most people are looking at their phones, either scrolling social media feeds or catching up on the latest news. Last week, NPR reported on a research study that included 467 adults who “agreed to the month-long study aimed at testing the theory that constant connection to everything, all the time, has unintended consequences.”
The researchers asked participants to block the internet on their smartphones for two weeks. They could still use the phone for calls and texts but could not access anything that would require an internet connection. The internet blocking only applied to their phones so they could continue to access the internet on their computers and iPads.
The results were startling. After a two-week break, 91% of the participants felt better. Psychologist Adrian Ward of the University of Texas Austin said, “What we found was that people had better mental health, better subjective well-being, and better sustained attention.” One finding was that the decrease in depressive symptoms equaled or exceeded similar reductions documented for people taking antidepressants. Ward postulated that it wasn’t the decrease in internet use that made the difference, but that people spent that time engaged in other healthy activities.
The article provided some tips for scaling back smartphone use. For me, the most interesting idea, and one that is easy to adapt, is to manage the notifications that you receive on your phone. When my phone dings or buzzes, I tend to look, distracting me from whatever I was doing. It’s not a surprise if you have seen the movie The Social Dilemma, which focused on the way social media companies manipulate users by using algorithms that encourage addiction to their platforms. After watching, I asked my son to help me turn off almost all notifications. He was able to see that the prior weekend, I had picked up my phone in response to 85 notifications (texts and emails). In the following weekend, we saw that I had picked up my phone in response to 12 notifications. I don’t think I missed anything important and was definitely less distracted.
Managing your notifications will not only be less distracting, but you may also find your attention span and well-being will improve.
Take care and stay safe.
BOOK:
From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur C. Brooks
Many of us assume that the more successful we are, the less susceptible we become to the sense of professional and social irrelevance that often accompanies aging. But the truth is, the greater our achievements and our attachment to them, the more we notice our decline, and the more painful it is when it occurs. What can we do, starting now, to make our older years a time of happiness, purpose, and yes, success? At the height of his career at the age of 50, Arthur Brooks embarked on a seven-year journey to discover how to transform his future from one of disappointment over waning abilities into an opportunity for progress. From Strength to Strength is the result, a practical roadmap for the rest of your life. Drawing on social science, philosophy, biography, theology, and eastern wisdom, as well as dozens of interviews with everyday men and women, Brooks shows us that true life success is well within our reach. By refocusing on certain priorities and habits that anyone can learn, such as deep wisdom, detachment from empty rewards, connection and service to others, and spiritual progress, we can set ourselves up for increased happiness.
Learn more about Bob Len here.
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