Off the Screen and Up to the Stars
A Technology Detox Ritual for Resetting Your Gaze
For most of my life, one of my greatest pleasures was gazing up at the stars on clear, dark nights. As my eyes adjusted, I was always mesmerized by the countless new points of light that kept magically appearing as time went by. I never tired of communing with such vast, mysterious splendor.
But lately I’ve been sad and concerned to notice that stars no longer hold my attention like they used to. Even during the most beautiful nights in the countryside, after just a few minutes I find myself heading back indoors, drawn away from the limitless beauty to re-engage with one of my technological devices. Is there an email that needs a reply? Might my son have returned my text? Did my daughter post any new photos?
I’ve been chagrined to face the fact that my technological devices, with their ability to deliver virtual connection and unlimited distractions at lightning speeds, is weakening my ability to stay present in the “real world” (as in physical, tangible). After decades of trying to slow my overly busy mind to “be here now,” I’m noticing how often I bombard my brain with unremitting stimulation rather than consciously attuning myself to the slower, healing rhythms of nature. My iPhone creates such a powerful gravitational pull that it is slowly and insidiously becoming like the sun of my personal solar system.
Diving into research on this topic, I discovered that there is indeed a documented relationship between screen time and the loss of sustained focus. Because the human brain is unable to perform two or more cognitively demanding tasks at one time, what we think of as “multi-tasking” is actually rapid “task-switching.” Heavy media tasking-switching (such as alternating between texts, emails, and social media) has been conclusively linked to shorter attention spans, declines in working and long-term memory, lower productivity, and less impulse control.
Considering that 75 percent of screen content is viewed for less than one minute, with most people switching every nineteen seconds, it’s not surprising that media task-switching is also linked to increased anxiety, depression, and metal exhaustion.
I’ve also learned about the many ways technology companies intentionally manipulate us into allowing screens to monopolize our precious time and attention. Screen addiction is intentionally fueled by our basic human need for acknowledgement, approval, and connection that is imbedded in our very biology. For example, when we receive a slew of “likes” from a social media post, the feel-good hormone dopamine is released, causing a rush of pleasurable emotions, especially excitement. Being wired to repeat pleasurable behaviors, we naturally come back for more. New experiences also lead to the release of dopamine, and smartphones are designed to offer up constant novelty.
