In our modern society that is run and powered by technology, one can no longer imagine what life would be like without social media, without apps that control the many devices at home, notifications that push the latest news to us, or the experience of online shopping and delivery right to our doorstep. Every one of us is harnessing the benefits of technology, using it to gain knowledge, increase productivity, or connect with family members across the globe, especially in these pandemic times. Technology is intrinsically neither good nor bad, but the overuse of technology, especially social networks and social media, can bring about detrimental consequences – socially, emotionally, psychologically and even physically.
We touch our phones over 2,600 times, check emails 74 times and receive 46 notifications in a single day, research firm Dscout found.1 The Pew Research Centre2 reported that nearly one in two young adults are online ‘almost constantly’, while a separate study revealed that young people are most likely to spend their time messaging or using social networking platforms, browsing websites, watching videos and taking photos or videos.3
With so much time spent on our phones, have we unconsciously allowed technology to overtake our lives, and drive addictive or harmful behaviour? Is there a way we can use technology without being used by it?
ARE WE TRULY CONNECTING?
If you’ve looked at your phone screen while someone is having a conversation with you, chances are you’ve phubbed them. “Phubbing”, in short, is to snub someone you are talking to by choosing to use your phone.
A survey by the Diploma in Media and Communication (DMC) students of Singapore Polytechnic in June 2017 found that 61.4% of the 785 Singaporean and permanent resident respondents aged 15 to 35 were occasionally guilty of phubbing. And 84.6% of the youth had also been phubbed.4 In turn, phubbing can affect our existing relationships: when family members, romantic partners or bosses routinely engage in phubbing, recipients report being less satisfied with their relationships and feeling less contented about their lives.5
If you’re constantly checking your phone instead of giving someone your attention in a conversation, you are signalling to them that you have better things to do and that they are not worthy of your time. We may be pulling out the phone because we are afraid of missing out on something, or perhaps it has just become habitual, but this type of phone addiction will lead to real connections being lost. Phubbing dilutes the quality of interpersonal interactions and can leave the other person feeling rejected.
MULTITASKING AND PRODUCTIVITY
Writing a paper, reading your emails and trying to return a text message at the same time: many of us can probably identify with this at some point, whether in school or at work. While technology is supposed to help us become more productive, multitasking with digital devices (or ‘media multitasking’) is likely to get in the way of successful task completion.
The human brain has a limited amount of cognitive bandwidth to hold multiple thoughts at the same time. So while it may feel like you are being productive juggling multiple tasks at the same time, the truth is that you are probably not getting any of these tasks done efficiently.
“People don’t succumb to screens because they’re lazy, but instead because billions of dollars have been invested to make this outcome inevitable.”
- Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism
Psychology studies have found that students who send text messages or use social media during class perform more poorly when they are assessed on how much they have learned.6 Media multitasking may also affect our memory, ability to sustain attention, and ability to ignore distractions.7
In short, being able to focus on one task at a time is what helps to get things done, whether it’s just for five minutes or an hour.
IS MORE NEWS EQUAL TO ‘BETTER’ NEWS?
The internet, messaging and social media platforms allow information to be shared more easily and much faster than before. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a study8 that tracked 150 phone users for one week showed that almost every participant used WhatsApp to send or receive messages related to COVID-19. In fact, one in ten WhatsApp users received and shared a large volume of forwarded messages – akin to ‘super spreaders’ on other social media platforms.
However, this avalanche of information can result in information overload, leading to increased depression, anxiety and stress.9 A recent online survey conducted at the NTU Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information in August 2021 found some 30% of the 674 Singapore citizens and permanent residents polled reported experiencing COVID-19 information overload.10
Another study found that poorer mental health was observed amongst individuals who spent more time receiving COVID-19 updates or who had greater exposure to rumours, with one in ten experiencing severe or extremely severe symptoms.11 Receiving news updates from an official WhatsApp channel showed itself to be a protective factor, with users of official channels reporting lower depression scores than non-users.
PHONE USE CAN GET IN THE WAY OF HEALTHY EATING
The problem with phone use during mealtimes is that it can lead to an expanding waistline. On average one could end up consuming 15% more calories when looking at phones while eating.12 On top of that, people are more likely to eat junk food. Much of this is due to reduced attention to the amount of food ingested while multitasking on the phone.
So just how often does phone use happen during mealtimes? In an experience sampling study, nine in ten young adults were found to use their phones while eating. This occurred at an average frequency of one in three meals, and primarily involved social phone functions like messaging and looking at social networking platforms.13 Not all types of phone use have the same impact on eating behaviours. Social activities such as messaging on the phone tend to lead to overeating, compared to non-social activities like reading an article.14
With the popularisation of Instagram in recent years, a new phenomenon of food photography has started to emerge. A study of the impact of food photography showed that taking pictures of food disrupts the natural increase in food consumption throughout the day.15 Instead of eating based on the feelings of hunger and fullness, people could become distracted by the aesthetics of the meal and ignore their body’s internal signals – a phenomenon known as ‘external eating’. Nonetheless, the study found that food photography did not impact how much a person liked the food or how full they felt after eating the meal.
Amplification of Societal Problems
Technology and social media are frequently blamed for society’s problems. They have been implicated in adolescent eating disorders, suicidality and addiction – as well as broader issues such as harassment, discrimination and misinformation. But if we delve a little deeper, the issues that have surfaced pre-date these technological advances. While the internet did not invent these problems, it amplifies age-old issues that already exist.
Take for example Microsoft’s chatbot Tay or the South Korean chatbot Lee Luda. Both used artificial intelligence and machine learning to imitate human speech. Within days of being introduced, both were pulled because of the derogatory comments they had learnt from interactions with human users. Such incidents reveal the deeper issues of society which cannot be resolved merely by looking at the technological aspects of coding.
Before we start blaming technology for our problems, perhaps it is time for an introspective on our biases and for us to re-examine the underlying social issues. Are these really technology’s problems or simply a reflection of our existing issues?
Reconnect with mindfulness
A recent study published on BMC Psychology suggests that mindfulness training for primary school children can enhance life satisfaction, positive outlook and effective emotion regulation. This may help some children unhook from their smartphone addiction and regain control of their attention. Photo: iStock
SWITCHING OFF
In sum, smartphones and social media have enabled us to become more interconnected than before. In the daily grind of constant exposure to emails, messages and social media content, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the onslaught of information.
In his book Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport advocates a purposeful approach to spending our online time. It is a philosophy of intentionally choosing to spend online time on a few carefully selected activities that support your goals and values, instead of mindlessly allowing technology to drive your behaviour.
There are several things we can do to declutter our lives from technology depending on how practical it is and where we are at on the spectrum. It can be as radical as taking a 30-day break from technology, to simpler things like intentionally putting your phone away whenever you are in conversation with another person, or taking time off from technology to spend time in activities that engage you physically (for example, hiking, craftwork, building furniture). Either way, we are taking steps to move the needle towards a more meaningful and intentional approach to technology use, diminishing our tendency to become dependent on digital devices.
What is it that you really value? Think twice before you connect online, take a photo or check for that next update. Use technology but don’t let technology use you.
ASST PROF JEAN LIU
Asst Prof Jean Liu (Psychology, Yale-NUS College) conducts research on how to thrive amidst technology, documenting the good, bad and neutral aspects of using smartphones and social media. Based on her findings, Dr Liu has written 30 scholarly papers, presented in international conferences, and spoken widely on evidence-based guidelines for digital well-being.
SOH XIAOQING
Soh Xiaoqing is Projects Manager at The HEAD Foundation. She has a keen interest in developments in the healthcare and technology space, having previously taken on diverse roles in business operations, strategy management and client engagement in the Singapore Economic Development Board, SingHealth and a pharmaceutical distribution start-up.
DECEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 9
Tomorrow's Technology Today
