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How constant web use leads to general lack of awareness.

8/17/2015

8 Comments

 
Picturedistraction - www.flickr.com
 Whether walking along the street whilst pushing a stroller, eating at a restaurant and ignoring the conversation, or driving on a busy road, many people find it hard to stop fiddling with their mobile phones. They even keep up their behaviour whilst on holiday abroad, often running up huge bills that equal the cost of their jaunt. The constant stream of online Facebook, Instagram and Twitter hyperactivity must be draining on the nerves.

In the first study of its kind, an academic from Leicester’s De Montfort University has found that the more times a person uses the internet or their mobile phone, the more likely they are to experience “cognitive failures”. In other words, when high-frequency internet users try to pay attention to what’s going on around them, they often lose the plot.

What worries me is that this happens to young mothers, who are not focussing on to their youngster's needs.

The new research published in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour revealed their findings in a study which asked people a series of questions to determine whether they experienced certain types of blunders. There were defined as factors relating to their ability to focus, physical blunders such as bumping into things, and memory.

The study was conducted among 107 men and 103 women between the ages of 18 and 65, who spent an average of 22.95 hours a week online.

And the evidence: the most frequent mobile phone and internet users are the most likely to be distracted, for example they might miss appointments and daydream while having a conversation. These include a whole range of blunders, and a general lack of awareness of a person’s surroundings or responsibilities.

The lead researcher suggests the problem is mixed. People already suffering from short attention spans are drawn to the distractions of modern technology, which makes it even harder for them to pay attention to their surroundings. Source: Independent.  

Picturemobile use in car - en.wikipedia.org
 In the UK, we see drivers using mobile phones despite the law forbidding such behaviour. Car crash ahead.

As a teenager in the 50s, my father's favourite saying was, “Everything in moderation.” While I didn't agree with 'everything', he'd made his point about not doing too much of one thing.

Surely, drivers can give phone use a rest while they concentrate on the road.

I hope the craze will die out, like the yo yo or the hula hoop. But companies are making a fortune by selling more and more complicated technology to eager customers.

In about 1995, I worked in the catering section at one of the first mobile phone companies in the UK called 'one-2-one'. At that time, it looked really silly when people walked alone along the street with one of the large handsets talking to the air. I'm sad to say that 'fad' grew and grew.

What do you think of using technical wonders constantly?


8 Comments
Amy link
8/16/2015 10:13:01 pm

Ugh, Francene, I can so understand this fascination and tunnel-visionedness with the mobile phones and ipads and laptops and so on, but gosh, I'm so afraid of this happening in my own life! I see young mothers and dads everywhere studying their phones instead of watching their children and I want to say--"watch them! They will grow up and be gone in the blink of an eye! You are missing out!" The screen in all its forms is powerfully addicting, I fear, and devotion to it can make real life feel pale in comparison.

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Alana link
8/16/2015 10:13:33 pm

I plead guilty. The smartphone has become a necessity, a lifeline, to me. When I was traveling back and forth doing long distance caregiving, my phone was a GPS, a way to call, text, and keep in touch, take photos (I had to do this several times, including when a prescription was filled with the wrong medication), and look up phone numbers. But using a phone while driving is inexcusable. I am commemorating the death anniversary of an aunt who died in a car crash and I will always wonder if the other driver was distracted. Drugs, alcohol and the weather were not a factor in the accident, where a driver crossed the center line and hit my aunt head-on.

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Anamika Agnihotri link
8/16/2015 10:24:21 pm

I would not include myself among those who have to stay online all the time. But I see most mothers who bring their kids in the park are either always busy checking their phones or talking/chatting on the phone. And the fathers are more worse. They can never do without their smartphones and the common excuse given by them is checking office mails. I wonder if they get more mails than the whole country's postal system.

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Sophie Bowns link
8/17/2015 12:39:36 am

I do die off when I see parents who are too attached to their phones to interact with their young children. I mean, mobile phones are a necessity for most people in this day and age, but there's no need to be on them all the time!

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annabelt link
8/17/2015 02:41:02 am

I agree! I still don't have a smart phone so I notice this a lot. We once visited the giant redwoods and shared a cable car tour with another family whose father spent the whole time looking at his phone. I thought that was so sad! And I hate to see people on their phones when they're driving too.

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Ashley link
8/17/2015 06:20:24 am

I just started a new job working on a horse farm and for 4-5 hours my phone is in the office and I never think about it. I'm so in the moment, doing what I need to do and I love it. It's made me rethink how often I carry my phone around because it's truly not as much of a necessity as people make it out to be!!!

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Barbara link
8/17/2015 07:43:28 am

Your dad was so right. I like having the convenience of the phone, but it's so important to engage with our friends and kids when we are together. My biggest concern is for texting while driving. This is so dangerous.

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Debbie D. link
8/20/2015 01:52:32 am

This is a terrible byproduct of modern society! People are completely distracted and it is frightening, especially when they're driving, as you said. While I do spend a lot of time online at home, when I'm out, I want to get away from it. No smart phone for me - just a basic prepaid one. Never got into the habit of texting either. I guess my age is showing. ☺

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    Francene Stanley
    From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

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