The Digital Addiction
If you closely observe your own behavior for a day, you’ll quickly come to the conclusion that a lot of time is wasted.
In a wired world, it is all too easy to spend most of your day trying to keep up with new emails, daily blogs, Twitter posts, social network updates, stock quotes, breaking news and text messages.
Looking back on the day, you’ll quickly note that you were very active. But were you productive and creative? Did you make major progress on important projects and your overall business? Did you produce your best work? Or did you merely move from one activity to the next? In today’s digital world, sometimes it’s hard to tell.
The Internet’s constant stream of data is a stimulant for many people. (I’m not referring to IAD, or Internet Addiction Disorder. There are actually recovery centers for Internet addicts and you can take a quick test to see how you score.)
The mind tracks motion and the Internet’s continuous information updates act like a drug to our nervous system. We are becoming addicted to the endless stream of specialized data, anticipating the next feed like pigeons in a cage.
No one is to blame. We’re all learning and adapting to this new ever-changing medium. The Internet provides us with a powerful communication tool and knowledge base, but we must acknowledge that we have not learned how to effectively interact with it yet.
What can you do about it?
- Become mindfully aware of your tendencies to be swept up by the digital current. Honest observation seems to lessen its hold.
- Unplug every now and then to find perspective, recharge and refuel your creative engines.
- Create time blocks each week to increase productivity and creative contribution.
There are numerous blessings that come from this digital revolution, but we must also become cognizant of its potential pitfalls and how these pitfalls impact our behavior and daily actions.
Related posts:
Trackbacks & Pingbacks