All of us wrestle with a unique 21st century paradox. We constantly use a host of digital technologies that are designed to enhance our lives and our capacity to communicate more broadly and effectively. However, rather than simply solve problems, these very same tools often contribute to a rising sense of anxiety. Notably, this also applies to our teenage students. Stanford university professor Alex Joo Sum-Kim Pang researches this phenomenon at a special think tank in California. He calls it “distraction addiction” and warns that we should be proactive in handling the emerging challenges that digital connectivity has swept into our lives. He stresses to educators like me that endless multi-tasking by teens has a cognitive cost and can literally impede the proper development of their brains. In the extreme, he calls this a “mindless mindset,” which interferes with building an all-important “positive mindset” that is key to learning and development in all students.
Pang believes that we can interrupt the cycle of the “mindless mindset” that leads to a “distraction addiction.” Here are four concrete suggestions:
- Email: Be more purposeful. Don’t check your messages all the time; only check two or three times per day when you actually have a moment to respond if necessary.
- Multi-tasking: Pang believes multitasking gets a bad rap and can be done productively, but only with a focus on a single purpose. So Multi-task but don’t switch tasks. For example, in preparing a meal in the kitchen you can be sautéing meat in a frying pan while chopping vegetables, but those different tasks are aimed at a single purpose. For students, when it comes to a research assignment, seek articles on different websites and watch a short video on You Tube related to the same topic. However, they should not mix that up with assignments for three other academic subjects while also chatting with friends on several social media sites.
- Social Media: In Pang’s words “Tweet mindfully.” He reminds us to always remember why we are on any particular social media platform and that we should only go online with a single intention. We should remember that there are always real people at the other end – and what one says online can and will have impact. So we should never submit to a first impulse, especially if it’s a sarcastic comment or simply blathering on.
- Remember to Breathe: One of the most unique terms Pang has introduced is “email apnea.” His research shows that most people hold their breath when they check their email. Holding our breath, Pang explains, “reflects the anxiety many of us feel as we check for new messages in our inbox, not knowing what new fires we’ll have to put out or what problems we’ll have to solve.” It also shows how our minds, bodies, and computers are very deeply entangled. Like a lot of other problems Pang describes, “email apnea” can be improved by being mindful of one’s breathing and consciously taking breaks from our screens from time to time. Our relationship with digital technology doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach, but we can go a lot further in improving daily quality of life by being more intentional in how we use digital tools.
Finally, I will add my own suggestion:
5. Disconnect: Where and when possible, be purposeful and go offline. This will enhance your connections with other people and your capacity for reflection and deep thought which are so essential to both productivity and creativity.
Professor Pang reminds us that “the highest levels of happiness come from people who are absorbed in difficult tasks… digital connection is inevitable, but distraction is a choice.” So don’t succumb to the “distraction addiction,” just try to make good choices. Go ahead and tackle difficult tasks today—one at a time. By managing technology better, we can live better, and not drown in it. —Christopher Shannon, Headmaster