Quote:
Originally Posted by BeccaPrice
There's a very interesting book called The Shallows about what the internet, and its constant interruptions, are doing to our brains, making us less able for sustained concentration, and more open to constant stimulus. I disagree with some of his conclusions, but it's very well documented, and I did find it thought-provoking.
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It's not only the internet that's a problem, it's the ongoing stream of fleeting and fast-paced information, such as Facebook updates, Twitter, WhatsApp, SMS and mobile phone calls. Some people are always in a conversation, but not with the persons in the same room... and IF they're talking to someone, it goes like this:
"Yesterday I was in a restaura..."
*beep!*
"Wait a moment."
*tap, tap, tap*
"... where I ordered a steak..."
*doing!*
"Uh... wait."
*tap, tap, tap, tap*
- "But I thought you didn't like...."
*brrzzz*
"Excuse me!"
- "Ooohkay... gotta go! Have a nice day!"
I think all those fast-paced and different channels of information and conversation, is causing many people to have a very short attention span. For some, it even causes anxiety when there is no information or conversation to react to (No updates? Is my phone broken, or the internet is out?!), or if they can't react fast enough. I know quite some people who utterly panic if they can't check they phone within the next minute if it goes brrzz, doing, or beep-beep.