Weekend Reading
Lately I've come across several articles related to technology that have convicted me more than ever that outside its obvious benefits, it's possibly doing more harm than good. They're worth a read, if you care to check them out.
Why we owe it to ourselves to spend quiet time alone every day. "Invisibly, almost without notice, we are losing ourselves. We are losing our ability to know who we are and what is important to us."
The Dangers of Distracted Parenting. "Yet for all the talk about children’s screen time, surprisingly little attention is paid to screen use by parents themselves, who now suffer from... 'continuous partial attention.' This condition is harming not just us...it is harming our children. The new parental-interaction style can interrupt an ancient emotional cueing system, whose hallmark is responsive communication, the basis of most human learning. We’re in uncharted territory."
The recession is long gone. Where are the babies? "Researchers...have hypothesized that those of baby-making age are having 'too much Netflix, not enough chill.' Young adults may be displacing in-person activities...with time on computers, phones and tablets."
How Your Phone Is Changing Your Brain. "We’re just beginning to understand that unlimited technology can have a downside. One serious concern is what technology can do to our brains."
Rebel developers are trying to cure our smartphone addiction — with an app. "'We would spend all day working. At night, we’d spend dinner half-talking, half-catching up on things on our phone. Then, we’d turn on the TV and basically zone out in our separate worlds for the rest of the night.'"
And I've posted this one before but it's worth a read if you haven't checked it out yet: Smartphones Are the New Cigarettes (language alert). "It’s attention pollution when somebody else’s inability to focus or control themselves then interferes with the attention and focus of those around them."
It's easier to tune out and scroll through life, and I find myself doing this more when the going gets rough. (See: this past week of potty training, which isn't going the way I wanted it to. Lord be near.) But we only get to do this life once, and I want to feel like I've lived it in the real world with real people, and I plan on revisiting these articles anytime I need a reminder.
I hope you have a happy weekend!
