How to Alter Your Relationship with Tech for More Sanity & Success
We all know technology plays a huge part in our existence as we’re bombarded with notifications and messages nonstop… And there’s been quite a stir lately about the documentary The Social Dilemma, which hauntingly showcases how the designers of major social and search platforms control the way billions of us think, act, and live our lives… but we continue to beat ourselves up for not being focused enough, productive enough, or successful enough.
I’m not here to completely dismiss your role and responsibility in the matter, but I want to call out that it’s not just you!
Yes, you can turn off your notifications and step away from the screens. You can recognize when you’re procrastinating or checking emails to avoid doing deep work. But I also encourage you to practice compassion with yourself while trying out such tactics and to remember what you’re up against.
Your time and attention are a top commodity for many corporations.
They’ve invested billions of dollars into devising algorithms and techniques to keep your eyes on their platforms and want you to keep you coming back frequently. Like a slot machine, digital devices and programs use intermittent variable rewards to maximize addictiveness by linking our actions (such as opening a message) with a variable reward (like a match reveal on Tinder or a comment on your post). You pull ‘a lever’ everytime you tap and immediately receive either an enticing reward or disappointment. The inconsistency of the result coupled with the high volume of external notifications you receive increase your desire to check in. Beyond apps and programs that have intentionally used this design for their gain, there are also programs out there, such as your email, that was not necessarily designed to keep you coming back, but nonetheless plays the same psychological game.
Can you think of all the ways this plays out in your work day? Do you frequently go to your inbox, Slack, or social media channels to see what new updates you have?
If you’ve been struggling to apply ‘productivity tips’ other pros have given online, I’d encourage you to begin your efforts with inquiry.
Keep a good ol’ pen and notepad nearby and jot down what you’re feeling, avoiding or hoping for everytime you go to check your email, social, and Slack throughout one work day. Although it’s a simple suggestion, I’m guessing you may feel like it’s a big undertaking – and that response itself may be an indicator that you check these platforms more than you’d like.
Once you’ve identified some of your main motivations, you can then begin to plan actions to combat or address them differently. For example, if you find yourself checking a social platform when you’re supposed to be starting a big task – call yourself out with kindness, “I am procrastinating!” Then think about why it’s important to take on your big task and what it’ll feel like to have it accomplished. After you’ve had this mindful pause and shift, then go ahead and take steps to get as distraction free as you can to move forward with more focus.
If you don’t get at the why and the reward behind your actions and truly address those, you’ll continue to find workarounds that keep you peeking at distracting platforms – even when the pings are turned off.
Beyond tech habits, it’s also important to recognize how your engagement with media messages on various platforms can influence your thinking, focus and overall success.
Marketing messages are most often intended to promote someone or something by targeting your greatest dissatisfactions or desires.
There’s controversy on whether this is ethical or not – because businesses do ultimately exist to help people solve their problems and reach their goals, but the amount of these emotionally-triggering messages you consume in a day can be detrimental to your well being and ability to confidently contribute content or offerings for your own business.
I’m sure you can recall an instance when you began putting yourself down in comparison to the glossy posts or emails displayed on your screen showcasing successful individuals and radical results.
To get out of detrimental thinking patterns influenced by media, the first step is to recognize the intent behind the design of the messages, which is to provoke you to buy or sign up in some way. Once you’re aware of this, you can begin the compassionate inquiry exploration to identify how you react and why. Then you can take on countering the destructive narratives that pop-up in your head and create thoughts – and content – that’s focused on positive contribution rather than fear-based competition.
In order to overcome our doubts and distractions, we need to be more mindful about digital design and our media engagements so we can show up confidently and compassionately.
Turn off as many notifications as you can. Create space to focus without distractions. Take screen free breaks. Unfollow triggering accounts and emails. But most importantly, get curious about your motivations to compulsively check media platforms and learn to listen to your reactions to prolonged tech use and marketing messages.
This post was informed in part by the article “How Technology is Hijacking Your Mind” by Tristan Harris, one of the main subjects in the documentary The Social Dilemma.
