Live data from Hacker News

My awakening moment about how smartphones fragment our attention span

idratherbewriting.com

201–210 of 231 posts

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

#201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

which phone did you get? Do you tether the ipad to it when out and about?

I got iPad with Cellular, magic keyboard and the cheapest prepaid SIM card with 4Gb of data so I know I can not just browse forever. I got Nokia 6510 and I absolutely love it. New Nokia feature phones don't have the same level of attention to detail and quality of plastic. I don't take my iPad anywhere usually. If I want to take photos I use Pentax ME Super, for reading - Kindle. For music I got iPod Video and upgrad…

> If I want to take photos I use Pentax ME Super

A man of culture!

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

#202
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm trying to recalibrate my dopamine receptors for a few weeks to no avail. Maybe, it's not the right month. Too hot to do anything remotely complex.

it took your mind 2 million years to develop those receptors. good luck

I don't want new receptors, I want to undo what social media did to them in the last five years.

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

#203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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/frustratio…

This is exactly the same reason I didn't develop an addiction. Being forced to be disciplined about data seems to have had a knock-on effect of lowering my dependence on the phone in general.

For me I think graduating to a smartphone later than "normal" had a similar effect. Mid 30s, but I got my first smartphone at ~25 instead of ~20.

There's a lot of external pressure to be constantly on your phone. People of my age are a little perplexed when I explain to them the reason I didn't text back right away was because I was outside, but my phone was upstairs in my room.

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

#204
post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 psychol…

There is neither one or many genes or any objective biological test that is used to diagnose any psychiatric condition in the DSM.

"psychiatric diagnosis still relies exclusively on fallible subjective judgments rather than objective biological tests"

-Allen Francis, Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, chair of the American Psychiatric Association task force overseeing the development and revision of the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV)

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

#205
post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Were you diagnosed with ADHD before TVs were invented?

As it stands, psychiatrists do not know what causes ADHD (or any psychiatric disorder in the DSM), so its certainly possible that social and environmental factors which induce ADHD like behaviors could be contributing factors. This is in accordance with the biopsychosocial theory.

As for brain scans, those are not considered medically or scientifically reliable ways of diagnosing psychiatric conditions.

You'll notice that every study which suggests it is, does not control for the fact that the psychiatrically diagnosed in their study are already under the influence of psychiatric medications which have tangible effects on brain chemistry; of course a brain on drugs will look different than a brain not on drugs...

"psychiatric diagnosis still relies exclusively on fallible subjective judgments rather than objective biological tests"

-Allen Francis, Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, chair of the American Psychiatric Association task force overseeing the development and revision of the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV)

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

#206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Perhaps specifically saying gene isn't accurate, but adhd is highly heritable (anywhere between 40 to 80% depending on which paper you look at)

Indeed, social behaviors are highly heritable, we don't need a scientific paper to tell us that.

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

#207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now that app makers have realized we're muting our phones and disabling app notifications, they're doing them within the apps... It creates dependency and anxiety. The best way I've found to deal with the constant prodding is to simply leave my phone at home or in the car nearby whenever I want to enjoy a day or moment. It's a device I paid for, it shouldn't cause me stress. Google and Apple can easily set up reasona…

> Now that app makers have realized we're muting our phones and disabling app notifications, they're doing them within the apps... It creates dependency and anxiety. This is so true and so widespread that I haven't even realized it's happening. I disabled most push notifications on Android and have the phone muted almost all day. Still, I'm fighting with attention fragmentation, decreased memory etc. Nowadays most ap…

You can block them with uBlock rules. Just right click on them.

I silenced a few websites that way. I also removed some feeds and distracting elements.

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

#208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

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.

I thought that the researcher that 'discovered' ADHD admitted oh his death bed that it was just a scam he invented to make money on the drugs to cure it.

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

#209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know of someone who has undergone a similar detox. From what I've heard it's been somewhat life changing (in a positive way). I don't necessarily think it's lead to more _material_ success, but they seem happier and more positive generally. I'm trying to do a light version of this. I'm not sure I can ever completely give up the internet and video games. They're a big source of enjoyment for me. How much of that enj…

Due to RSI long ago I replaced video games with board games. I do play some video games now on occasion, for example interactive fiction and VR dance games and The Forest VR.

If you like The Forest VR (which is excellent) ... I highly recommend Green Hell VR (PCVR).
Post reply on HN