OT: Smart Phones, Diminishing Attention Spans and the Lost Art of Reading.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by cash05458

I think it's not just smart phones, but computers in general and those sorta habits. Jumping around for articles, small bite sized short things etc... Or even t.v. and images in general as humans are so visually oriented and all this just stuff ramps that up. It is what it is I guess. I don't have a cell or smart phone and never have. Just don't have a need for one. But even the computer changes things attention wise I think. I have always been a big reader and still am. But I do notice it taking more effort to focus on dense things like hardcore philosophy stuff or more serious novels. Currently reading The Great Transformation by Polanyi, some Bentham stuff on his Panopticon ideas and a good novel by the Russian, Bely, The Silver Dove...after a few hours of concentration I feel exhausted...whereas when younger I would whip thru that serious stuff in much longer sessions and not feel tired at all. It does seem to take more effort/work to focus. Maybe too that's a thing with getting older as well or a collision of that with these new ways of attention...

That's really impressive. I would go back to a "flip phone" in a heartbeat, but I train people remotely, so it would be difficult.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by joosttx

I am above those social media folks because I write words on an internet bike forum (which is not social, not media and not media that is social).

We are a nation (world) of addicts. The math is pretty simple. The more social media sites you're plugged into, the deeper the addiction.

Eventually, there will be some kind of reckoning for what all the smart phones/social media has wrought. I'm not really a "Black Helicopter" kind of guy, but it beggars belief that the Lords of Tech aren't aware of the ramifications of their "products."

Interesting read here: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn...cer/index.html

The key takeaway: "Big tech is unlikely to be enthusiastic about these measures. Put simply, the more time we spend staring at our phones, the more money the tech giants make. So, it is currently in their interest to keep us addicted."

[weisan]

I miss the good O' days....



"Are you being entertained?!"

[BRad704]

I had this same personal revelation last month and bought 2 books to start with.

"Drive" is a study on what drives human motivation. It's interesting so far because I struggle with self-motivation already for lots of things... like reading...

"Always look on the Bright Side of Life" Eric Idle's autobiography. Well written and funny, as expected since he's a comedy writer legend.

The short nuggets of quick info are so obsessive for me that I can't watch a 90 minute movie, because I am so accustomed to 11-minute Youtube videos.

[Burnette]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Echappist's recent crossword puzzle thread and my recent inability to finish a few "must read" books (I used to read a couple of books per month) hinted at an uncomfortable truth: I can't concentrate like I used to. I'm not alone, of course. I believe we're in the midst of an attention-deficit epidemic. It's even more worrisome for my daughters generation.

An interesting article here: https://dailytimes.com.pk/352305/sma...tion-span/amp/

Has anyone taken steps to "reclaim" their attention span? What does that look like?

TL: DR

But seriously, whether reading a book, doing a crossword puzzle or reading about bike stuff online with a smart phone, it's escapism, just with different media.

What's new is that you get info in smaller bites and almost instantly. Why? Because who has time to sit for a few hours to do anything anymore? Work, family, crisis, everything pulls at your time. Most households have both parents working, commutes are getting longer too.

It can get lopsided the other way too. Seems like when I had a schedule that allowed the most time to work out, ride the bike, paint/drawing/writing, I didn't have enough time to focus on family.

My schedule changed years ago and free time has lessened and I parse my time as evenly as I can. But long sessions at the easel, light pad, bike/gum or computer are rare.

But I'm happier now, better balanced even though things I could super focus on take a backseat to work/family.

[sjbraun]

Over the last several years, I stopped being a reader as computer/social media time gobbled up my attention. Since I retired last year, I've been trying to relearn how to read. Its not always been easy, but slowly, I'm learning to appreciate time spent with books. There's something about internet time that has the same addictive rush I imagine one gets from gambling, when the next hand, pull of the slot machine, or click of the mouse might bring you satisfaction. Engagement at the slower pace of a novel requires some effort as gratification isn't nearly as instantaneous, but I find it leads to more reflecion and thought than mindlessly grazing on the internet.

[Johnnysmooth]

I've run an industry analyst firm that does market research in the healthcare IT domain for the last 13yrs. We have been publishing reports of varying sizes (our big ones ave. over 100pgs).

While our research is lauded as the best, most in-depth and accurate in the industry, we have seen a decline in sales. I have a strong suspicion that people can no longer digest that amount of content anymore.

Subsequently, we are looking to a much more data driven model of content delivery e.g., crunchbase or pitchbook

Either you adapt or die.

On the personal front been reading books forever and still do. Virtually all novels - lately international novelists. Go, Went, Gone by german author Jenny Erbenbeck was the best one I read in 2019 - simply brilliant.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by Johnnysmooth

I've run an industry analyst firm that does market research in the healthcare IT domain for the last 13yrs. We have been publishing reports of varying sizes (our big ones ave. over 100pgs).

While our research is lauded as the best, most in-depth and accurate in the industry, we have seen a decline in sales. I have a strong suspicion that people can no longer digest that amount of content anymore.
.

that is very interesting and not surprising.

what would be an interesting experiment is (obviously numbers made up):


-let's say your 100 page document cost $500

-produce and sell "executive summary and key takeaways derived from documen txxx" and charge $400

and see if that sells better. that would prove the point i think

[Hilltopwalters]

I've always been "against" social media but I usually view popular trends with a large amount of mistrust. No Facebook, no instagram, no strava, nothing. I've been a life long reader and even when I dipped my toes into social media I could feel it cut into the other things that make me whole. I recently saw a poster in NYC that said "Scrolling is the new smoking" and that statement hit me like a ton of bricks. I haven't been able to get it out of my head when I look at people with their heads in their phones walking about. One of the newer punk bands I dig has a whole record that's about endlessly scrolling. It is an absurd epidemic. I've seen a few cafes and restaurants with signs saying no phone use indoors and I respect and salute them.

[colker]

Originally Posted by joosttx

I am above those social media folks because I write words on an internet bike forum (which is not social, not media and not media that is social).

"Stop picking up fights here" in my best teacher voice.

[colker]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

We are a nation (world) of addicts. The math is pretty simple. The more social media sites you're plugged into, the deeper the addiction.

Eventually, there will be some kind of reckoning for what all the smart phones/social media has wrought. I'm not really a "Black Helicopter" kind of guy, but it beggars belief that the Lords of Tech aren't aware of the ramifications of their "products."

Interesting read here: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn...cer/index.html

The key takeaway: "Big tech is unlikely to be enthusiastic about these measures. Put simply, the more time we spend staring at our phones, the more money the tech giants make. So, it is currently in their interest to keep us addicted."

Sure being able to reach people from wherever i am or have free marketing on social media is a huge step... but there are tall costs to this. I just got off from subway and there is gossip/ celebrity news picked up on facebook and reproduced on screens inside the cars. And then you have no privacy, mob lynching of the famous taking place of news. POlitical debate gone and fake news in it´s place. We have reached social dystopia.

[joosttx]

Originally Posted by colker

"Stop picking up fights here" in my best teacher voice.

I am not I find it silly that people claim they hate social media complain about it on social media. And then try and defend the platform they complain on is not social media. I am simply pointing the irony of your and XX’s posts in this thread.

[colker]

Originally Posted by joosttx

I am not I find it silly that people claim they hate social media complain about it on social media. And then try and defend the platform they complain on is not social media. I am simply pointing the irony of your and XX’s posts in this thread.

Like you pointed something else before.. but back to your observation; when you read some other posts in the thread it´s clear there is more then plugging on x off social media. It became a dystopian situation w/ instant feeds like FB and IG taking place of interaction w/ reality. Not to mention dating apps and the cheapening of romance.

[joosttx]

Originally Posted by colker

Like you pointed something else before.. but back to your observation; when you read some other posts in the thread it´s clear there is more then plugging on x off social media. It became a dystopian situation w/ instant feeds like FB and IG taking place of interaction w/ reality. Not to mention dating apps and the cheapening of romance.

I met my wife on Match.com. Best thing ever. I read just as many books as I did before Facebook. My wife reads at least a book a week. We have half our storage in the garage full of books. I am very thank for Amazon Readers so we don’t have physical storage. What we do less of is watch TV and movies. I think social media has replaced the mindless part of leisure but not the intellectual part for us. For us social media sparks conversation as much as TV did. Certainly social media has not replaced intellectual pursuits like reading books.

[colker]

Originally Posted by joosttx

I met my wife on Match.com. Best thing ever. I read just as many books as I did before Facebook. My wife reads at least a book a week. We have half our storage in the garage full of books. I am very thank for Amazon Readers so we don’t have physical storage. What we do less of is watch TV and movies. I think social media has replaced the mindless part of leisure but not the intellectual part for us. For us social media sparks conversation as much as TV did. Certainly social media has not replaced intellectual pursuits like reading books.

Fair enough. ... as i said before i believe reading books is a habit of few and never was that popular. A friend of mine says he reads like it´s an addiction. He is a writer and does not care for the healthy aspect of reading. The problem is see w/ social media is people making up their minds from "something they read on facebook" instead of reading newspapers and professional journalism. The number of fake gurus and fake political news on facebook is frightening.
As for dating on line i see a lot of disaster but ymmv.
The fact privacy and private info became a joke is also to be noted.