Ive recently noticed that my memory power has taken a huge toll. I
cant seem to recollect things instantly, I find it hard to remember
phone numbers or email addresses and most importantly I cant seem to
keep my focus and attention on one thing for too long. I dont blame it
on age, im not that old yet to forget things, I blame it on the smart
phones that we carry.
Gone are the days when we tried to remember stuff, phone numbers, birthdays and some important details. Everything now is noted down on the easy to use smartphones for future reference. While on the one side it is good, as everything is noted down and wont be missed but on the other side it is killing our innate ability to remember things. Our brains and the gray cells in them are being deprived of some much needed exercise which is a disaster in the making. Just imagine, when was the last time you calculated something in your head and not have to pull out your phone and use the calculator on it? Not so long ago additions, multiplication subtractions and other such calculations could be easily done in the head without using any calculating device. Can you imagine doing the same now?
Apart
from making us dumb, smart phones are also detaching us from real
world, in simple words they are making us Anti-social. I was recently at
a pub with friends and this is what I saw. 4 guys at the table and
instead of just talking to each other and laughing together and having
fun, this is what they were doing. Lost in their phones. All the social
media applications that can so easily be accessed via the smart phones
are keeping everyone hooked on to the virtual world and disconnecting
them from the real world. I dont blame social media for this, it has
really helped a great deal in making the world a smaller place. Its the
constant need and desire to get online is what is ruining everything.
All people want to do is go on to Facebook, checkout what others are doing and posting on FB to tell the world about the fun they are having instead of actually having fun.The first thing that most people do these days after going out is check-in at that place and tag all the people they are with and add with it a tacky comment "Having fun with - XXX at YYY". After this they will come back again to check how many people liked it and if anyone commented on it, reply to it and that cycle goes on. Its not only making us anti social, its actually making us socially awkward. We are so used to having all these virtual conversations that when it comes to talking face to face, we have no idea where to start or how to keep a conversation going. Sad state of affairs.
Another disturbingly regular routine seems to be this: Unlock phone, check whatsapp, switch to FB and scroll a little, then switch to instagram, another round of scrolling, then snapchat, another round of scrolling, not finding anything interesting and lock back the phone. 5 mins pass and the cycle repeats. I mean what madness is that? Whats with the desperation to keep checking all these things all the time?
I
don't have words to express how disgusted I feel when I see this
routine (not that im snooping around or something. You just get to see
the person right in front of you do all this). I personally don't do
this, I'm either reading a book or just thinking about something while
on the commute but definitely not this.
This constant switching between different applications is also robbing us of the ability to concentrate and keep focus on one thing for too long. You keep switching from one task to another just like how you switch from one application to another and there by reducing productivity. Not one task is ever worked on at one stretch. This really isn't a good sign. I have personally fallen prey to this. I recently had the good fortune of not having to carry my phone for two days and I must say it was such a relief. My hand was really itchy to reach into my pocket for my phone. Luckily it wasn't there and I really got a lot more work done those two days as compared to any other days. It was a welcome change.
The fix: This is what I would suggest and will personally try this week. We obviously cant go around without the phones, the least we can do is switch off the WiFi and mobile data. Keep it off for at least a few hours and focus on the task at hand. With the connectivity gone, the phone wont keep buzzing all the time with notifications from different applications. No buzzing means no itchiness to check the phone. No checking phone means more useful work done. Sounds simple doesn't it? Im gonna try this for a week. Lets see how it goes.
#SmartPhones #Socialmedia #Smartphonesmakingusdumb
Gone are the days when we tried to remember stuff, phone numbers, birthdays and some important details. Everything now is noted down on the easy to use smartphones for future reference. While on the one side it is good, as everything is noted down and wont be missed but on the other side it is killing our innate ability to remember things. Our brains and the gray cells in them are being deprived of some much needed exercise which is a disaster in the making. Just imagine, when was the last time you calculated something in your head and not have to pull out your phone and use the calculator on it? Not so long ago additions, multiplication subtractions and other such calculations could be easily done in the head without using any calculating device. Can you imagine doing the same now?
Apart
from making us dumb, smart phones are also detaching us from real
world, in simple words they are making us Anti-social. I was recently at
a pub with friends and this is what I saw. 4 guys at the table and
instead of just talking to each other and laughing together and having
fun, this is what they were doing. Lost in their phones. All the social
media applications that can so easily be accessed via the smart phones
are keeping everyone hooked on to the virtual world and disconnecting
them from the real world. I dont blame social media for this, it has
really helped a great deal in making the world a smaller place. Its the
constant need and desire to get online is what is ruining everything. All people want to do is go on to Facebook, checkout what others are doing and posting on FB to tell the world about the fun they are having instead of actually having fun.The first thing that most people do these days after going out is check-in at that place and tag all the people they are with and add with it a tacky comment "Having fun with - XXX at YYY". After this they will come back again to check how many people liked it and if anyone commented on it, reply to it and that cycle goes on. Its not only making us anti social, its actually making us socially awkward. We are so used to having all these virtual conversations that when it comes to talking face to face, we have no idea where to start or how to keep a conversation going. Sad state of affairs.
Another disturbingly regular routine seems to be this: Unlock phone, check whatsapp, switch to FB and scroll a little, then switch to instagram, another round of scrolling, then snapchat, another round of scrolling, not finding anything interesting and lock back the phone. 5 mins pass and the cycle repeats. I mean what madness is that? Whats with the desperation to keep checking all these things all the time?
I
don't have words to express how disgusted I feel when I see this
routine (not that im snooping around or something. You just get to see
the person right in front of you do all this). I personally don't do
this, I'm either reading a book or just thinking about something while
on the commute but definitely not this.This constant switching between different applications is also robbing us of the ability to concentrate and keep focus on one thing for too long. You keep switching from one task to another just like how you switch from one application to another and there by reducing productivity. Not one task is ever worked on at one stretch. This really isn't a good sign. I have personally fallen prey to this. I recently had the good fortune of not having to carry my phone for two days and I must say it was such a relief. My hand was really itchy to reach into my pocket for my phone. Luckily it wasn't there and I really got a lot more work done those two days as compared to any other days. It was a welcome change.
The fix: This is what I would suggest and will personally try this week. We obviously cant go around without the phones, the least we can do is switch off the WiFi and mobile data. Keep it off for at least a few hours and focus on the task at hand. With the connectivity gone, the phone wont keep buzzing all the time with notifications from different applications. No buzzing means no itchiness to check the phone. No checking phone means more useful work done. Sounds simple doesn't it? Im gonna try this for a week. Lets see how it goes.
#SmartPhones #Socialmedia #Smartphonesmakingusdumb
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