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My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span

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

#141

Post by kortex »

ellopoppit wrote: post #87
user_7832 wrote: post #64

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 sh…

Could it be that smartphones and TV can cause ADHD? Before such electronic media, books were the main media, and inherently required and trained users to concentrate on one thing at a time for extended periods. TV and smartphones do the exact opposite

Nope. ADHD is a distinct neurological condition that we can pick up on with PET scans and the like. It sure as hell can be kryptonite for ADHDers - basically limitless novelty on tap - but it cannot cause ADHD.

Source: had adhd long before smartphones. Still do.

- written on my smartphone

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

#142

Post by JoeyJoJoJr »

Waterluvian wrote: post #116

I’m developing a personal opinion that being on a phone all the time is like being high all the time. Eventually you look back and see thousands of hours you could have spent building something or learning an instrument or whatnot. Instead you just kinda pissed it away on gossip and getting anxious about events you have no control of. My most productive time on this phone is when I’m learning new stuff here on HN. Bu…

There was a time I was productive working on a side project in mostly odd segments of time after work, or in moments I was waiting for my girlfriend to get ready. There were some factors that I see as critical to allowing me to stay productive in 15-30 min windows.

- my side project was a game with very few dependencies. No other people or large libraries that would complicate things. - I already had a solid foundation laid and had already invested sufficient time to the project. I wasn’t starting from scratch. - New features had to fit within my mental model of my foundation. I couldn’t afford any redesign or experimentation of my foundation. - Faith that many small incremental improvements would yield a bigger resul - I was very familiar with all the tech involved - I had a good set of simple gamedev design patterns that I cultivated and experimented with over the years

It was a really worthwhile experience and gave me a different perspective on how I approach productivity.

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

#143

Post by kortex »

ellopoppit wrote: post #134
user_7832 wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately I'm not a doctor or researcher to be able to give a definitive answer, but I don't think these things can cause ADHD - though they can likely worsen symptoms, for both people who have it and those who don't. But I suspect such an effect would be reversible, unlike (genetic components of) ADHD.

There is no known gene which causes ADHD. Like all other conditions in the DSM, there is no objective biological diagnostic criteria

There's no one gene, but aside from very specific things, there's hardly one gene for any condition, but ADHD is highly heritable, and we already know several strong candidates. DRD4-R7, COMT Val158Met, TPH2, a couple others have been identified recently. Also, PET scans and in some cases high-density EEG can pick it up, the thing is, those are quite expensive and don't really even tell you that much, whereas psychological evaluation tells you much more qualitatively.

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

#144

Post by ryandrake »

unethical_ban wrote: post #113
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…

>The crazy part is, not one single person I know thinks of it as a bad thing I bet they don't think of it at all. It's addiction. It's a habit that sneaks up on you. I'm not attacking you, but have you mentioned it to them as a bad thing, or challenged them to not do that? I say this as a 30-something that does the same, but today installed minimalist.phone to work on the struggle.

I remember one time back right before COVID hit, watching this young couple in a restaurant a few tables down from us. They were obviously on some kind of date (dressed real nice), but their phones were just lighting up constantly. Dinging and buzzing and vibrating. Notification here, message there, and they kept picking them up over and over and checking them every time, like Pavlov's dogs reacting to the bell. I don't think they even got through a sentence, let alone a conversation. I can't imagine maintaining my sanity in that environment. It's like living on the Las Vegas strip all day with all the lighting up, dinging and buzzing all the time.

When I originally posted this story with a very critical tone, I got downvoted into oblivion. How dare I judge these addicts! I think a lot of people here see a little of themselves in that picture and rush to its defense.

I've been for about 5 years on DND mode 24/7. No messages, no phone calls, no notifications, no needy phone waking up wanting me to do its bidding. It's really liberating. I now use my device on my own terms not on some app developer's schedule. The wellbeing difference is indescribable.

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

#145

Post by jrib »

411111111111111 wrote: post #36
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.

I love the form factor and input for reading fiction. Probably 90% of my phone screen time is that, which adds up to a significant time each week.

Have you tried an e-ink screen like the kindle? It's perfect for consuming fiction books

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

#146

Post by alsetmusic »

christiangenco wrote: post #127
10x-dev wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In terms of developing software without distractions, I like to recreate airplane conditions. I load devdocs.io in a persistent tab, get all the software I think I'd need for the day/weekend and turn on airplane mode. I don't need to Google everything - between devdocs, man pages and just figuring stuff out by myself, it can be very fun to code disconnected.

I've recently realized I'm uncharacteristically productive on airplanes. I did a deep read of the first 8 chapters of a book I've been meaning to read on my last long flight. I had every intention of continuing at the same pace through to the end as soon as I checked into my AirBnB. The moment I got internet back at touchdown marked the end of my progress on the book. This was... four days ago. I think some airplane…

When I want to read, I go to the local park and grab a bench. I’m a productive reader when I get away from distractions, but not at home. I was able to read effectively as a teen, but not since we got super online.

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

#147

Post by shrimp_emoji »

_abox wrote: post #40
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.

Same here. I don't understand why someone would willingly use a 6" screen when they have a glorious 24" and actual input devices available.

Because computers are for nerds (the bigger it is, the MORE computer it is); only boys should be nerds; therefore, girls select against using computers. It sucks.

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

#150

Post by Mezzie »

tester756 wrote: post #3

When I was writing my thesis I told myself to get separate room & computer without all those distractions like discord, hn blocked, etc. so I can perform context switch easier 95% of the work was coding and it actually helped me to sit for 1-3 hours per two weeks and do solid step ahead Unfortunely now I do not have such privilege to have separate room to learn :( I believe environment may make things way easier. Als…

Can you try to play something that isn't musical and note the differences? It might be easier than just turning it off. White/brown noise or nature sounds or something.

> I do wonder whether there is some "distraction meter" for workplace - e.g 3 meetings a day (all of them with 2h gaps) + scrum + 5 emails that require at least 5 minutes of attention = not much can be done

Cal Newport's Deep Work goes into this a bit, and I found it to a good read for understanding why there were certain things I was struggling with in my job at the time.

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