Digital Distractions

The shortcomings of social media would not bother me awfully if I did not suspect that Facebook friendship and Twitter chatter are displacing real rapport and real conversation, just as Gutenberg’s device displaced remembering. The things we may be unlearning, tweet by tweet — complexity, acuity, patience, wisdom, intimacy — are things that matter.

The last of four paragraphs someone else gleaned from a post by Bill Keller, executive editor of the New York Times, a newspaper which has earned high marks for its creative, even prizewinning, foray into digital media. Had me wondering how much the timesaving advancements of technology are slowing down and interrupting the most important parts of my work day. From the intermediary post, I read through several other linked posts discussing the issue.

Earlier, Keller says:

Basically, we are outsourcing our brains to the cloud. The upside is that this frees a lot of gray matter for important pursuits like FarmVille and “Real Housewives.” But my inner worrywart wonders whether the new technologies overtaking us may be eroding characteristics that are essentially human: our ability to reflect, our pursuit of meaning, genuine empathy, a sense of community connected by something deeper than snark or political affinity. . . .

Not long after the studies suggesting a potential for time saving through new technologies, some began to surface showing how the constant contact and interruption of various media was making each day less productive rather than more. It was found that less than 45 percent of workers managed to go longer than 15 minutes without interruption. Ignore the fact that a little over half were wasting an hour or more on social media and other non-work technology use. That says a lot for our tendency to waste time. But my goal is to discuss how we are thwarted even when we are not choosing to be distracted for pointless reasons.

There have been studies that suggest that when the mind has become temporarily overloaded, a brief diversions to anything — coffee break, surfing the net, email, a game of solitaire, Farmville, etc. — can help it reset and return to efficiency. But to function in this positive way, diversions should be targeted and controlled. They should occur when you are overloaded and end when you have recuperated. In other words, the time to start is when you need it and the time to end is when you are ready to get back to work. (Not meaning when you get done commenting on everyone’s facebook posts and tweeting your brilliant drivel, but when your mind has reset.)

It is not helpful for efficient work to be interrupted from external sources such as telephone calls, emails, IM, Twitter, Facebook, or other social media. Abrupt interference with your work often takes more time than the interruption itself. You must regain your place in your work sometimes at great effort and time. It is a given that we cannot control everything about when others will interrupt us. The boss or a client may call or email at any time. But we can try.

It is hardest to turn off the phone. Not just the lack of technology in a phone system to do it, but a sense that you do not have the freedom to simply say that you are not answering the phone during a particular period of time. It is easier to ignore email since it does not, by default, ring or appear on your computer screen. That is an option that you must select and therefore easy to simply not select. But most of us also have one of those “Crackberry” equivalents that squawk and vibrate anytime there is phone call or email. And too many feel obligated to respond right now — in the middle of other important meetings, in front of clients, in the middle of conversations with important people, like our spouse.

I’m not sure of my authority to make certain changes, but I have decided that I will begin next week to impose some limitation on some kinds of interruption. I’m starting with the elimination of any notification that I have email. Instead, I will intentionally look at email at certain times, beginning with the start of the day and followed at set times. I will not turn off the telephone, but will filter what calls I take. Since there is more and more use of IM, I will set my status so that I am “busy” or even “do not disturb” during times that I do not want to be bothered. For someone, like a boss, that needs me, they will break-in anyway and that is probably OK.

I may not be able to cause there to be enough work for me to be constantly busy and in need of those mental breaks, but I can at least be intentional when work is busy and make technology my aid and not my antagonist.

I also hope to post on the notion of Digital Stupidity, but that for is another day.