Presentation: Digital Distraction – Optimizing Human-ness
In a time when we are constantly connected yet isolated, searching for meaning yet distracted from our task, it becomes increasingly important to consciously cultivate an awareness of how our use of technology is affecting us.
Expectations of speed, availability, and increased output are impacting our ability to truly innovate. As our expectations require us to act increasingly machine-like (analytical, logical, information-centered), our abilities to empathize, play, understand nuance, create beauty, and synthesize the big picture are at risk of being lost.
We’ll explore ways of remaining conscious to this effect, and liberating ourselves from the poor inner habits our devices encourage.
Resources
Books
- A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink
- Devices of the Soul, Scott Talbott
- The Nature Principle, Richard Louv
- Bit Literacy, Mark Hurst
- The Shallows: How the Internet is Changing the Way We Think, Read and Remember, Nicholas Carr
Video
- TED Talks: We Are All Cyborgs Now – Amber Case
- On being human: The Greatest Speech Ever Made – Charlie Chaplan
- On listening to our intuition: Shut Up and Dream – Ann Hill
Articles
- NY Times: Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction
- Fast Company: I Can’t Get My Work Done: A New Industry Survey Looks At Workplace Distractions
- Frontiers in Science: On-line social interactions and executive functions
[Originally published on http://bracia.com, my business website.]
Hello Ben,
I’m a friend of your brother, Stefan, and was at the presentation you gave at BRWS the other night. Thank you! What a gift to the school to have you demystify this challenging territory with some very practical tools and common sense. I really appreciate the dogged, warrior-ship in your inquiry into tech habits, your own and others. And that Lyndon Johnson quote, wow, I can’t believe I never heard that before – beautiful. Our family recently transferred our children from BRWS to a non-Waldorf private school that does not have the same restricted media policies. The school is tackling the tech issue, though, as with us all, there’s a lot to tackle! I wanted to ask you last night if you present at non-Waldorf schools. Many thanks again. Karin