Distraction.Sept 20th 2021.
Todays starting point for these few words I write is distraction and lack of concentration. Together, and without realising where we were heading, we have constructed a society where the ability to concentrate on the task at hand is not only almost impossible but (for most of us) not desired or expected.
We are constantly bombarded with sounds, memes and external influences that beg for our attention, our attention becomes so overworked that it becomes fragmented and loses sight of what’s important or what todays priorities should be.
Our ability to read, listen, absorb content and form an opinion about things is extremely reduced if not totally destroyed.
Examples.
What are we doing when we listen to music while scrolling through social media? Are we listening to music? Or scrolling through social media? Does the music matter? Are we listening to the text of the song? Are we trying to ‘get’ what the artist is trying to put across in their song? Or is the music just a background effect for scrolling on social media, a sort of wall paper of sound? What about when we are listening to the radio, scrolling on internet and the ‘news’ comes on the radio, do we actually take in what’s being said or do we just remember little bits, sound bites, like seeing headlines but not reading the article. What about the scrolling on internet, what are we actually doing? ‘Checking up’ on what others have been up to? And does it really interest us that someone who we hardly know was at a restaurant yesterday having a meal with their partner? Is this the new way we humans try to keep up to date with gossip? Do we care about that photo we ‘liked’ on instagram? Or is it just a reaction to that somebody you know or like or just ‘follow’? What do we think happens when we give something a like? Is it an act of appreciation? A split second that we say “well done for having a meal with your partner” “great! I’m going to reward you know with a ‘like’ just to show you that I’m thinking of you! By the way, how was the meal?”
The same goes for us who are doing the ‘posting’, when we post a photo of ourselves having a meal with our partner in a restaurant, what is the goal? What are we trying to get across, and to whom? If we are in a restaurant with our partner or friends isn’t that enough? Do you want others to see what they are missing? Or do we want people to see that we actually have friends? Or are we saying “I’m here with my friends, the fact that you see this makes you not one of my inner circle.” What is the aim of showing the world that at that moment of time you were in a restaurant with partner or friends not actually concentrating and enjoying their presence or the food and the banter but taking a photo to show people who you hardly know what you get up to in your free time. Why do we feel the need to tell and show the world what we are up to every second of the day? All these things lead to distraction ,to the fact that we are hardly ever in the moment, and that our lives become one big personal PR stunt. We can maybe go so far as to say if you do something, go somewhere, enjoy something it never really happened if you didn’t register it and post it on some social media site.
We pay good money to go and see our musical idol or comedian or actor that we really enjoy watching and listening to, but we spend time during the show or act not concentrating on the act or show but taking photos, recording live videos or taking selfies to prove that we are there, but while doing that we aren’t concentrating on the reason we went , that being to listen, experience or enjoy the evening. On occasion I have even been asked by people “Hey did you go see that show yesterday?” “Because I didn’t see any photos on your Instagram of Facebook account, was it a shit show or something?” The fact that we don’t register and publicly announce things is becoming a sign that we are either ashamed of what we have seen, listened to or done or that it was a shit evening.
But getting back to distraction - maybe the fact that so many of us experience ‘burn outs’ depression and anxiety could be linked to this continual tickertape of distractions that constantly demand our attention.
Writing this I’m sat here with sound silencing headphones on, under the headphones I have those spongy earplugs in, the wifi on my computer is turned off along with my smart phone, only by doing this am I able to be free from digital distractions and the noise of everyday life, for example traffic, airplanes and building work going on outside.
Silence and the ability to be alone with your thoughts are becoming a scarce commodity, no doubt soon to be marketed and sold back to us.
So what to do?
All I can advise from my experience is to try your best to limit the distractions, take time for yourself, maybe 15 minutes a day to sit in silence and think about whatever is bothering you, or to think back on enjoyable moments and what they meant. Take time to plan your day.
Think of the silent moments as a sort of mental fitness exercise. Give your brain a rest now again, without external distractions.
Lay back, switch off and turn on your thoughts, listen don’t judge just reflect… does it sound a little bit too ‘arty farty’? Give it a try anyhow.
Take care.
