In 1982, a report published by the National Science Foundation gave its verdict on the future implications of technology on the American population. It discussed how tech would transform families, revolutionize business and manufacturing and drastically alter the political landscape. Three decades later, and its predictions couldn’t have been more astute. Technology today forms an integral part of modern-day living, its impacts are felt in virtually all aspects of life and part of its transformative effect has extended to human behavior.
The turn of the 20th century ushered in the golden age of technology characterized by rapid technological advancements and an almost uninterrupted flux of innovation. Cars are faster (and more comfortable), rockets have become reusable and, perhaps even more relevant to the context of this discourse, smartphones have evolved from basic telegraph machines to full-fledged computational devices. They’re more immersive than ever, and with every new generation, they assume previously unimagined functionalities. In fact, today many smartphone apps can substitute for traditional social life.
So smartphones now provide an alternative way to do many things, and, unsurprisingly, many people are turning to them to do most things. This cultural shift toward smartphone immersion has, however, potentiated a slew of not-so-pleasant behavioral changes. For one, excessive smartphone use is linked to lower empathy and diminished satisfaction with life. Then there's the fact that it, in the extreme, smartphone dependence fosters antisocial behaviors, leading individuals to a life of reclusion and eventual isolation.
The good news, however, is that this trajectory can still change. Now’s the time for tech leaders to consciously de-emphasize smartphone immersion by introducing functionalities that immerse users in a positive way. Positive in this sense connotes features that promote real-life, healthy interactions as opposed a day spent glued to a screen.
Dampening Productivity Levels
There’s no arguing the fact that a portable do-it-all droid certainly provides an added bit of convenience, but then again, convenience almost always comes at a cost. For some experts, this cost transcends the monetary fee users pay for technology. Smartphones, for instance, are a direct pipeline to the internet and all the essential (and non-essential) contents it houses. With this barrage of often irrelevant information available on the fly, it becomes easier for tech users to get distracted.
Indeed research has shown that the current generation of adolescents and children have shorter attention spans consequent of their increased interaction with smartphone technologies. ADHD diagnoses are on the rise, and the so-called scatter-brained phenomenon is becoming more prevalent.
Aside from mental health implications, distractions have been shown to potentiate a significant drop in IQ, and shortening attention spans and an addictive dependence on technology has a marked impact on productivity. With shorter attention spans, it’s hard to concentrate, and when concentration levels drop, so also does one's problem-solving ability and, ultimately, productivity.
In its early years, technology was more for productivity than it was for entertainment and personal gratification. Perhaps now’s the time to revert to that setting.
Better Education And Better Minds
It's not all bad tidings, however. Technology has piggybacked onto a new learning culture, one where students, due to the availability of vast learning resources, are always on the quest for new knowledge. This learning culture has, in turn, shaped bright minds and produced the new generation innovators. But there’s more work to be done.
Sophisticated learning materials are still a scarce resource in some developing -- and even developed -- parts of the world. Given that a handful of these regions are still looking to up the standard of their education and improve overall learning culture, investing in smart (and high-tech) educational services check out as a viable investment strategy.
2019-09-18 11:30:02Z
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/09/18/tech-and-its-impact-on-behavior/
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