Distraction Described, Play Encouraged: Book Recommendations

In learning and researching for articles, I have been reading many books on the subject of distraction, technology, and video games.  My speculation is that if you are reading this, you may also be interested in these topics.  I would like to recommend two books which can reveal the depth of distraction and expansion this big, big Internet can cultivate so effortlessly.

One of the first books I picked up is from journalist Nicholas Carr, titled The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.  It is an in-depth exploration of the history, neurobiology, psychology  and development of distraction.  It will turn your opinion of your phone upside down, you will question the need for every notification, e-mail, and tweet you send...
Here is a brief passage from the chapter, "The Juggler's Brain:"

"It's important to emphasize that the Net's ability to monitor events and automatically send out messages and notifications is one of its great strengths as a communication technology.  We rely on that capability to personalize the workings of the system, to program the vast database to respond to our particular needs, interests, and desires.  We want to be interrupted  because each interruption brings us a valuable piece of information.  To turn off these alerts is to risk feeling out of touch, or even socially isolated...  We crave the new even when we know that "the new is more often trivial than essential""

The essence of the book is in this passage.  I especially enjoy the chapter titled "The Church of Google," where Carr brings readers on a tour of the development of Google, from the original site to the wide selection of free services, and the formation of Google Books.  I think that section is especially poignant given Google's recent projects in both Google Glass and Google TV (which includes new fiber-optic internet project in Kansas City which puts major firms like Comcast and Verizon's internet to shame).  With these, Google will probably take over the entertainment and mobile computing industries... Probably.

My next recommendation is all about games.  Everyone loves games, and author, Jane McGonigal, can tell you why.  McGonigal is a game-designer with a unique specialty and perspective on games which she explains in Reality is Broken: Why Games Make us Better and How They Can Change the World.  Games do not have to be demonized, they should be praised for the positive emotion, social connections, and even personal growth they can bring to the player.  For a quick intro to her work, her TEDtalk is well worth your while.

Another interesting "at-home-experiment" for you lovely readers would be her game, Superbetter, which is designed to help people identify and improve parts of themselves in areas of nutrition, mindfulness, fitness, optimism, quitting habits, and many other topics.  As a game, it is challenging, because you are not playing to improve an avatar, you play with the added challenge of improving yourself.  This could fall into the realm of a new phenomenon of "alternate reality games" which are games that are designed to be played in the real world, oftentimes they are played for positive, community-oriented outcomes.  I will save some of the other "In Real Life" games for later posts.

Happy reading, and please post any questions or comments.  Also, if you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing, or share any article with anyone who may find it interesting.  It could really help me get some momentum to readership on ALOL.  Thanks!

Takin' a Digital Sabbath - National Day of Unplugging

Today, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about taking a sabbath... A Digital Sabbath.

I know, "Sabbath" can be a loaded term, but it does not have to be religious in practice.  During a Digital Sabbath set down all digital devices for a day (or more if you can); you go 24 hours without texting, checking e-mail, Facebook and Twitter, television, video games, and basically anything else that involves a screen.  Not. One. Thing.  The sole purpose is to slow down and rest.

It would be difficult to find someone who has a mobile phone who does not feel attached to, or fully distracted, by it.  These modern conveniences can bring us a great deal of stress.  An e-mail notification interrupting your "flow" during a time of focus can be very distracting and stressful.  Many people struggle to keep the pervasiveness of the impulse to check the phone at bay.  I am certainly one of these people!  I can see my phone's light blinking at me as I write, and I (not so) secretly want to check it.  Disconnecting can be a profound experience for people living in the modern world.

The digital sabbath is an increasingly popular practice.  I have never taken one myself, but it is a popular topic when talking about Internet Addiction in our culture.

In writing this article, I found the National Day of Unplugging.  A day I will be observing!  On March 1-2, 2013, people around the world will be putting down distracting and stress-causing technologies, gather together, and be with each other instead of being so disconnected.  I will be turning everything off Friday at sunset, and it won't be on until Saturday at sunset.  I honestly can't wait!

The parent of this project (Sabbath Manifesto) has a few good ideas for how to spend your sabbath, Avoiding technology and commerce, getting outside, and find silence.  What a wonderful way to slow down. I think I will be doing some meditation and reading during my day.

I ask you to consider joining me next Friday.  When the sun sets, so does your phone's screen (you know what I mean, just turn it off).  Everyone could use a little time to rest.

UPADATE:  Also please let me know if you plan to take the Pledge at National Day of Unplugging!

iPad, meet Toddler.

Months ago I came across a video that  I love to show people when talking about neurological changes that occur in the brain when we are exposed to a new technology.  In this case, it's the Apple iPad, and the person undergoing neurological changes is a 1 year old child.

ALOL: An introduction and informal mission

I can remember the first time I set eyes on the Internet...

My father was in the "Smart Room," which is what my family called the study, and he excitedly called me in to see something new.  He was hunched over our IBM PS/1, the first computer in our home, and he was checking the weather.  As I stood staring at the animated weather map on the screen my father told me the weather was being sent to our computer from another one miles away.  I was only 6 years old, so the weather wasn't the most exciting topic, but the fact that it was another person's machine talking to our lowly PC.  THAT was interesting!

By the time I was in Middle School, I was already playing a lot of video games (some online), surfing AOL Instant Messenger, and generally spending a large amount of time in front of a screen.  It wasn't long after that I started playing EverQuest, a forerunner to the online game "World of Warcraft."  The "large amount of time" I spent online before doubled easily.  At this time in my life I was just beginning to struggle with ADHD.  I am distractable by nature.   I was just looking for some fun, but what I didn't know is that I was setting myself for a lifetime of distraction online.

Flash forward to 2 years ago, I was attending school at Naropa University in Boulder, CO.  Naropa is a Buddhist-inspired university, designed to bring a contemplative/mindful approach to our academic and personal lives.  I began practicing mindfulness meditation to bring a calm sense of being in my mind.  My mind quickly began to notice just how much time I spend staring at a glowing screen, and I saw myself becoming anxious for any notification from my phone.  Any blinking light, any ringing chime felt like my mobile device was tugging at a string tied around me.

Some important questions arose for me...

• Why am I so attracted to computer/mobile screens?
• Why is my phone so endlessly distracting?
• Is there ANYTHING I can do to help myself feel less distracted?
• How do I cut down on time using technology?
• Is there anyone out there feeling the same was as I do about using personal tech?

These questions stayed with me until my final semester at Naropa, where I wrote my bachelor's thesis on how the Internet and connected gadgets have the potential to be very distracting in our lives.  I argue in the piece that we have been unconsciously trained to crave the distraction of our personal technology.  We have an enormous population of people who use technology near constantly, high schoolers send/recieve an average of 2272 texts per month (I have heard of students going as high as 10,000), and video games have only begun to show their potential in the entertainment industry.

While there are many concerns for the technology, there are also many boons.  It has been shown that playing games can foster positive emotions, and even provide social, physical, and emotional support to the player (see Jane McGonigal's 'Reality is Broken').

I saw quickly that there is a distinction we need to make when using tech: Distraction vs. Enhancement.  We buy our phone to be connected to one another, to help keep track of our lives, and a general platform for any tool we may need.  The thing we often use them for the most, however, is to distract.  It is important to know when the tech is enriching your life, and when it is just a session of Angry Birds...

My mission for this blog is to explore the world of the Internet, Technology, Games, and everything in between.  The way I wish to set this blog apart from others is by not only engaging in discussion about these issues, but to offer strategies and practices you can use to wrangle your distractable mind!