My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span • Hacker News Board

Re: My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span

#61

Post by steve_adams_86 » Sat, Jun 25, 2022, 7:34 PM UTC

codemonkey-zeta wrote: post #59

> When I pulled up at a stoplight waiting for the light to change, I would instinctively reached for my phone (mounted on my dash) to check my email (personal + work), check ESPN, look up something on Amazon, etc. While pumping gas in the car, I’d whip out my phone while waiting. Stuck in line somewhere? Time for my phone. Waiting in an elevator? The phone. Riding the train? The phone. Going to the bathroom? Make sur…

Actually?

If I was in this state I would be scared for myself. Maybe I wouldn’t need to be, but it seems seriously concerning.

I think I’m bad with my phone, but I’m nowhere near that level. I can still leave it at home without anxiety or choose a book over Instagram, so to speak.

In some naive way I almost hoped younger people would see the problem with phones and navigate their way around it. I felt almost blindsided by how addictive they are, having acquired my first smart phone around age 25. Perhaps the reality is that we’re all weak to the phones and being steeped in it for a lifetime is a curse more than a blessing.

Re: My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span

#62

Post by wwilim » Sat, Jun 25, 2022, 7:38 PM UTC

Judging by the article I'm not doing terrible at all for someone under 30, despite the fact that I use my phone for continuous glucose monitoring, which means I can't live without it in a nearly literal sense. I can't remember what it was like 3-5 years ago though, it was probably worse, but after reading a few articles about the attention economy I started paying much more attention to what I was doing.

The most terrible thing for me is 2FA, especially at work. If I'm focused on something and I have to open the notifications on my phone in order to complete the demanding task, I'm at high risk of an attention lapse. I wish there was a 2FA app that functioned entirely within the lock screen or even the Always-On Display.

Re: My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span

#63

Post by wcchandler » Sat, Jun 25, 2022, 7:39 PM UTC

iratewizard wrote: post #60

codemonkey-zeta wrote: post #59

> When I pulled up at a stoplight waiting for the light to change, I would instinctively reached for my phone (mounted on my dash) to check my email (personal + work), check ESPN, look up something on Amazon, etc. While pumping gas in the car, I’d whip out my phone while waiting. Stuck in line somewhere? Time for my phone. Waiting in an elevator? The phone. Riding the train? The phone. Going to the bathroom? Make sur…

For anyone struggling, turning the screen to black and white helps. Less dopamine per hit makes it easier to break those habits.

I never thought to do this and already enabled it per your comment. Let’s see how it goes the rest of the weekend.

Re: My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span

#64

Post by user_7832 » Sat, Jun 25, 2022, 7:40 PM UTC

At the risk of sounding repetitive, this can also be a classic case of ADHD. If you also resonate with the post, ask yourself - do you have issues planning and completing long projects? Time management and procrastination issues? Lacking motivation? (Dis)organization problems? (Bonus: frustrated with yourself/your progress!)

If (like me) you say "damn that's a lot of things I have to a significant degree" then you should

a. read up on executive (dys)function, and

b. Ask your GP/doctor if you may have ADHD*

* - often CPTSD, physical brain trauma etc can also cause similar symptoms, as they can also cause physical changes in the brain similar to ADHD (There's a lot more of nuance and stuff that can be discussed, I'll try my best if anyone has any questions)

Re: My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span

#65

Post by user_7832 » Sat, Jun 25, 2022, 7:43 PM UTC

digitcatphd wrote: post #39

This is precisely why I haven’t purchased a smartwatch. These devices decrease our ability to solve problems that require analysis for extended periods of time.

If you are interested, watches like the Amazfit (Bip) or perhaps Garmin are low-ish tech while still giving health information/basic alarms etc.

Re: My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span

#66

Post by oifjsidjf » Sat, Jun 25, 2022, 7:46 PM UTC

codemonkey-zeta wrote: post #59

> When I pulled up at a stoplight waiting for the light to change, I would instinctively reached for my phone (mounted on my dash) to check my email (personal + work), check ESPN, look up something on Amazon, etc. While pumping gas in the car, I’d whip out my phone while waiting. Stuck in line somewhere? Time for my phone. Waiting in an elevator? The phone. Riding the train? The phone. Going to the bathroom? Make sur…

I never developed phone addiction in this way because I always had mobile data disabled.

I only enable mobile data when I need to sync calendars.

That being said: on PC and too often check hacker news and similar sites: I'm trying out Krishnamurti's "observation":

Can you catch yourself the VERY MOMENT you wish to go to some website (NOT after you already did: but when you wish to go: what kind of pressure/frustration is building up in you?

Re: My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span

#67

Post by user_7832 » Sat, Jun 25, 2022, 7:46 PM UTC

frereubu wrote: post #10

There are some valid insights in this piece, but just a note of caution about the book by Johann Hari that he cites a lot. This Twitter thread unpicks a lot of issues with that book: https://twitter.com/DrMatthewSweet/status/147912591089697587...

Thank you for that Twitter thread. Unfortunately quite a lot of books end up with criticisms that feel like it undermines a lot - Gun, germs and steel and Why we sleep both come to mind as having inaccurate or misleading information.

Re: My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span

#68

Post by allenu » Sat, Jun 25, 2022, 7:51 PM UTC

digitcatphd wrote: post #39

This is precisely why I haven’t purchased a smartwatch. These devices decrease our ability to solve problems that require analysis for extended periods of time.

I feel the same way. I found it interesting that when smartwatches came out, people were excited about being able to see text messages or other notifications on their wrist.

As someone who felt the need to be on top of things, receiving notifications was slightly stressful as it meant something I'd have to evaluate and make a decision on "right now". (Obviously, feeling like I should react to things immediately was something I had to work on in myself, but the phone didn't help.) Feeling a notification buzz on my phone gave me slight anxiety as I'd immediately react with, "oh, what is this that I might need to take care of?" Putting the phone aside for periods helped, so the idea of not being able to escape it with notifications on my wrist was a little terrifying.

In the last few years, I've set my phone to always Do Not Disturb mode, so it doesn't vibrate or even light up when a notification comes in. I do the same on my Mac. It's helped quite a bit with my stress levels. I just manually check periodically to see if there's a notification instead of always feeling like it could go off any minute.

Re: My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span

#69

Post by thih9 » Sat, Jun 25, 2022, 7:53 PM UTC

vorpalhex wrote: post #32

cmrdporcupine wrote: post #7

Since I haven't been commuting or going many places, my phone mostly sits idle for days, unused. I watch my wife and daughter constantly in front of theirs and I don't understand. I hate using those little screens with terrible input and fundamentally boring distracting apps. The problem is though, I'm addicted to my computer. I'm not actually sure it's that much better.

Schedule a time where everyone agrees to not use screens. Dinner is a good starting point but ultimately, whatever works. Practice conversing and talking. Socialising is a muscle, and smartphones (and other devices) are a crutch that lets us avoid using that muscle.

What about people who use smartphones for socialising?

Staying in touch with friends, finding new interesting people, browsing local events, deciding where to meet, etc.

Re: My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span

#70

Post by jmfldn » Sat, Jun 25, 2022, 7:54 PM UTC

I use focus mode on my Android phone all the time. Only have phone, messages (not whats app) and a few things I need for work. Basically turns it into a dumb phone. I do deactivate it sometimes and sneak a peak at a website but it seems (amongst my friend and colleagues at least) that noone is using these features nearly enough.