Key Messages
How To Avoid Technology Overload And Maximise Your Brain’s Potential
In The Distracted Mind, the authors explain that our brains are hard-wired to become distracted, especially in today’s technology-driven world.
They provide strategies on how we can stay focused and keep our eyes on the prize so that we don’t use our smartphones unless absolutely necessary.
By understanding how the brain works and implementing the right techniques, it is possible to enjoy a life of purpose and fulfilment without worrying about becoming distracted by technology.
The book discusses how your brain reacts when faced with danger – like a lion for example – and highlights the amount of time people spend using their phones each day.
It also provides an insight into what needs to be done to effectively train our minds not to succumb to distraction.
If applied wisely, these methods can help you stay focused on whatever tasks or goals you have set for yourself instead of letting yourself get side-tracked by things like notifications from your phone or laptop.
Our Brains Need Cognitive Control To Effectively Reach Goals In A Complex World
Our brains are superbly complex and adaptive, however, this complexity and adaptability also comes at a price.
Unfortunately, long-term concentration is one such thing that our brain isn’t equipped to do for extended periods of time due to interference and distraction.
This means that as we try to concentrate on realising our goals with cognitive control, we are at risk of easily succumbing to various external distractions like phones ringing or notifications pinging constantly.
It’s all down to how our brains have evolved – if we could cognitively maintain control over our minds uninterrupted by all external forces, things would be great.
But unfortunately this isn’t the case.
In fact compared to executive functions the ability of cognitive control has not quite caught up yet leaving us exposed and vulnerable.
For example, if you were supposed to gather groceries for a dinner party but your mind suddenly slips into ‘distraction mode’, you’d find yourself aimlessly wandering around the supermarket clueless about your original task if it weren’t for Cognitive Control!
The bottom line is that without Cognitive Control we would simply be unable to focus on tasks which makes following through deliberately consciously chosen plans and leading goal oriented lives impossible – an enormous limitation indeed!
The Perception-Action Cycle – How Our Brain Balances Bottom-Up And Top-Down Influences For Purposeful Action
No matter how hard we try, it’s impossible for us to completely control the way environmental stimuli affect our behavior.
These external stimuli, referred to as bottom-up influences, are characterized by saliency and novelty; when you hear someone shouting your name or a car backfiring, it grabs your attention immediately.
We can’t help but respond instinctively to these stimuli—that’s simply how we’ve evolved over time.
However, that doesn’t mean we are only capable of responding to sudden stimuli for immediate survival; in general, our actions are guided by the perception-action cycle, which involves perceiving the world in certain ways and making informed decisions based on those perceptions.
Such top-down influences allow us to pause in the moment and evaluate before taking action.
That being said, while it might be necessary to prioritize instinctive reactions at times, there is still no doubt that our evolutionary wiring makes it incredibly difficult for us to stay focused on self-imposed goals without being easily distracted by outside sources.
It’s Human Nature To Be Distracted: Our Evolutionary Instinct For Instant Gratification Is The Reason We Struggle To Focus
Modern technology can be a distraction and impedes our performance, but we tend to let that happen anyway, since our brains are naturally wired to seek out information.
We can trace this back to our primitive primate days when we were on the hunt for food and needed to survive.
Nowadays, this same instinct still exists, but expresses itself in a search for knowledge, rather than sustenance.
Our brains get the same satisfaction from activities like using the internet or watching TV as they did when searching for food in nature.
Unfortunately, this behavior stops us from achieving our goals, yet we still allow it even though it hinders progress.
It may be linked to our internal reward systems – research has shown that when macaque monkeys obtain information their dopamine systems are activated just as they were when they find food..
This could explain why many of us juggle multiple devices at any given time because it offers us an ‘information hit’ and provides instant gratification.
The Challenges Of Focusing In The Information Age: How High-Tech Distractions Are Undermining Our Ability To Stay On Task
There’s no denying that our current high-tech world has made it increasingly easy to be distracted, and three technologies have had a hand in this matter.
The internet, smartphones, and social media are all responsible for drastically changing the way we behave as a society.
The internet being so easily accessible allows us an endless supply of information at our fingertips all the time.
On top of that, email let’s us communicate more freely and instantly.
It’s pretty clear why 860 million Europeans and 7 in 10 people in American have a smartphone now days!
On average we use our devices 27 times a day; some of us even up to 150 times.
This makes it tough to stay on task and really focus on one thing for long periods of time; instead, we tend to jump back and forth between activities which reduces our attention span significantly.
In 2013 one of the authors studied students and found they could only stay focused on one task for 3-5 minutes before jumping to something else!
Similar findings were true when observing couples or friends at cafes; most would be playing with their phones instead of talking to each other.
Even researchers have proven that within an hour younger adults switch tasks around 27 (older adults around 17) times!
How To Confront The Modern Temptations Of Technology
Modern technology has changed our lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined.
We can now stay connected with friends and family all around the world, as well as access a wealth of useful information almost instantaneously.
However, it’s become apparent that this newfound convenience also comes with risks to our safety.
You don’t have to look beyond the headline news to find stories highlighting how people who are distracted by their smartphones can find themselves in potentially dangerous situations – or even injure themselves or someone else.
In 2004 alone, an estimated 559 people in the United States had to seek medical help after walking into objects while texting – and this number has increased year on year since then!
Researchers at Stanford University delved into the reasons why we’re so easily distracted by our phones, uncovering four key factors: boredom; anxiety; accessibility; and lack of metacognition.
Boredom drops when we change tasks and information sources, so moving from work-related issues to browsing Facebook for example is more appealing.
Anxiety also lessens if we quickly jump on our phones or onto social media – something known commonly as ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO).
Technology gets ever-more accessible too: smart devices are always connected to the internet, so email and other temptations are just one finger tap away from our screens.
Finally, those who lack metacognition struggle to resist looking at their smartphone no matter what they know they should be focusing on instead.
It’s clear that modern technology has seeped into almost every aspect of our lives and affects us a great deal – yet despite all this evidence that suggests it detracts from our safety rather than enhance it – most of us still allow it to do so.
Improve Your Cognitive Control Through Physical Exercise And Brain Training
It’s well documented that physical and mental training can improve cognitive control.
That’s because they induce neural changes in the brain which work to boost this power of concentration.
A 2009 study published in Pediatrics confirmed this, by connecting children to a virtual environment and placing them on a treadmill.
The results showed that physically fit children had better cognitive control than those who were less fit.
Another way to alter neural structure is through cognitive exercises, such as brain training.
Just like going to the gym to tone your body, it’s important to repeat the exercises regularly, modifying them as your ability increases.
The ACTIVE trial of 1998 was an experiment designed to examine whether cognitive training would make a difference in older adults’ attention levels compared to that of a control group.
The results were remarkable; ten years later in follow-up tests, participants reported fewer difficulties in their daily lives – including 50 percent fewer traffic collisions!
– compared with the control group.
It’s clear then that when physical and mental training are combined, they can both change the structure of our minds and strengthen our ability for cognitive control.
Improving Cognitive-Control By Managing Interference In Everyday Life
One of the most effective ways to reduce driving interference is by modifying our behavior.
This doesn’t mean going on a complete digital detox, but rather decreasing our access to technology, increasing metacognition and reducing boredom and anxiety.
For instance, if you read up on research that shows the dangers of texting while driving, it can help you become more aware of your actions – increasing your metacognition – and naturally discourage you from doing it.
You can also lower your access to technology while driving by locking your smartphone in the trunk or using apps such as DriveOFF or DriveMode that block telephone calls, texts and emails while you drive.
In the event that you start getting bored while on the road, switch things up with an audiobook, podcast or some music instead of reaching for your phone.
An experiment by David Strayer from the University of Utah compared these methods against chatting on a cell phone and concluded that they are far less distracting for drivers.
Finally, let people know about your regular commute so they won’t call or text you during a journey.
You can also use apps like Live2Txt which can automatically reply with text messages explaining that you’re currently driving and will be back shortly afterwards.
By following these few hacks for reducing distraction behind the wheel, it will not only make us safer drivers but also allow us to be more productive when we reach our destination!
Overcoming Social Detachment: How To Put Down Your Device And Connect Again
If you’ve ever been in a social setting and noticed that people are distracted by their digital devices, don’t worry – you too can resist this interference.
All it takes is a little bit of effort and the right approach, but the rewards are worth it.
Start by targeting metacognition.
Be aware that mobile devices disrupt relationships and trust among individuals.
According to a 2013 study from the University of Essex, merely having a phone present was detrimental to communication and empathy between two people.
The best thing to do if you’re trying to be more present with others? Put your phone away – or make entire rooms technology-free zones.
On top of that, try to actively reduce boredom when engaging with someone – this is much more engaging than flicking through your phone and will help prevent distractions from arising while socializing.
Finally, provide an expectation of when you’ll be accessible – telling people your daily schedule will help minimize any anxiety that you might be missing something online while chatting with friends IRL.
By following these tips, we can find balance in our lives and use technology in moderation – after all, nothing should ever be taken in excess!
Wrap Up
The Distracted Mind provides an insightful look into the amazing capabilities of our mind, while also demonstrating its limitations due to evolutionary adaptations.
It teaches us that multitasking and focusing on anything can be difficult and sometimes even hazardous, and outlines simple actions, such as meditation, we can take to train our brains in order to better manage distractions.
The key message is that cognitive training exercises and mindfulness techniques should be part of our everyday lives to ensure optimal performance, focus and productivity.
If you’re looking for more on how to meditate or generally manage distractions, there are plenty of resources available online for guidance.
