We’ve had endless studies on mobile devices, our devotion to them and often whether we realize it or not, addiction to them. Don’t believe me? Lock up your phone for a day and get back to me. Here’s something else that might be impacting everything from our tolerance for others to our waistlines. Multi-media multi-tasking.
A just-completed by researchers from Dartmouth, Ohio State and Rice found that the more digital interaction we had with multiples devices, the more likely we are to lose self-control. For example, how often do you go from doing something on your computer to your smart phone? How about your smart speaker to your smart TV? We’ve become a society that interacts with digital devices more than people and most commonly we interact with people through those devices.
Here’s my takeaway based on the study results. Overtime, we become accustomed to getting what we want on demand. That leads to lower levels of self-control. Less self-control equals over-eating and eating less healthy foods. It also leads to potentially less tolerance for anything in life that might not be as accommodating as say Alexa for example. This helps explain the nastiness on social media, the seemingly more close-minded approach to those with differing points of view, etc. It even can help explain the lack of willingness for many to face and preserve through adversity in relationships and careers.
But here’s the thing. Even if it’s true, would you considering changing your habits? Digital addiction is real.
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