Lessons from the East VII: Is Screen Destroying Skills?
14 Sep 2022 16:55:43
Attention, Activity, or Art of Idleness!
Is the screen making humans lonely?
Can screens alter the basic reflex system of the human body?
How does the need, and now the greed for gratification diminish the core skills of humans?
Solitude is a unique phenomenon, sometimes it heals, and sometimes it kills.
Scene 1
Mother and father both came from humble backgrounds in small towns of India and made big in the financial capital. They both spoke about how essential it is to be in the top league across the spectrum from Studies to Sports. David was under tremendous pressure to perform on all fronts and the morning when he jumped in the wee hours, he just wrote a note stating
“Sorry Dad and Mom, I failed you, I am a failure, I didn’t meet your expectations and couldn't qualify for the football team of the school. Sorry I tried my best, but I failed. Forgive me, Dad and Mom”.
From where David got the concept or idea of ending his life. Parents or teachers never spoke about it. Was this a knee-jerk reaction or was it something that was brewing in young David’s mind for a long time?
Was he introduced to the idea of failures in life? Was he told that failures are stepping stones towards Success?
Why did no one tell him that one needs to improve only oneself every day and that there is no one whom one should compete apart from oneself?
Teenagers, Youth, Adults, and seniors today are living in silos or air-tight compartments (virtually) where no one can enter. One may have many friends on the screen but no one, to whom one can express freely, just being one's own self.
Scene 2
Ali, Fatima, and Noor were young and full of energy and they were best friends for the last fifteen years. That day, there were fewer lectures and they decided to bunk the college and go to Bandra Bandstand (Rocky seaside in Mumbai Suburbs). It’s been a long time. They have been planning it for the last few months. Thursday seems to be just the right day and it was bright and sunny. They went on the rocks and were clicking selfies. Ali had worn the new T-shirt that his Abbu had recently brought for him during the festive season.
Ali, the only son, was an apple of the eye of his parents. Off late he was low and anxious as his selfies, and posts were not getting too much mention or attention from friends and acquaintances on Facebook (FB) and Instagram (Insta) and thus he thought of an idea.
Why not perform a flying stunt at Bandstand, and post the pictures on FB & Insta and that will take the social media by storm?
Whilst all three were busy clicking selfies, Ali reached the edge of the rocks, and requested Fatima and Noor to capture him in the camera when he would jump from the rocks into the sea. The idea was simple, this stunt put in slow-motion will look like an act of flying and he will regain his glory with several likes and re-shares on social media.
Before Noor and Fatima could have understood anything, he handed over the phone to Fatima and was ready to perform. Fatima started recording the video. Ali jumped and after a few seconds, both heard a loud noise. Fatima and Noor rushed to the edge but couldn’t find Ali. They waited for a few minutes believing that Ali must be playing a prank and will come back soon, but Ali was never to be seen again.
Why is one obsessed with getting the other person's reactions?
Why has ratification and external acknowledgment become so important?
Millions of pictures and posts are put on social media every day, even if someone likes it for a nanosecond or impulsively puts a thumbs up, does that mean anything?
When one lacks a sense of fulfillment, one looks outside for acknowledgment. When one performs deep work or good work and one is happy with one’s own performance, then work itself is the reward and thus one does not have a craving to sell the same to others.
Scene 3
Sameer has been studying in the UK and has just come yesterday for a summer break of fifteen days. His father had bought a new Audi that can speed up from Zero to 100 KMs in less than five seconds. Roads were empty in the morning at Nariman Point (a premium locality in South Mumbai). So Sameer thought, why not test the speed claims made by manufacturers and enjoy the thrill of speed?
As the speedometer indicator crossed 100 km/hr, ping-ping came the notification, and Sameer, using his left hand, picked up the phone to see who has pinged him at that time. For Sameer, it was a reflex action and not a decision that the brain had to take.
Suddenly a lady talking on the phone came right in front of the car. He turned the steering wheel, hitting the car on the road divider and the car went turtle. Sameer was pronounced dead on arrival by the doctors at the hospital and the lady has been in a coma for over 3 months.
Why was the lady crossing the road while talking on the phone?
Why does every notification need to be attended to with the same urgency as a telegram of erstwhile days?
Humans are forgetting the Sense of Idleness or the Sense of Calmness. When one is doing nothing or engaged in a slow activity like walks or eating food etc, one is not at peace. For every act, one is now craving a stimulus.
The Reflection that runs across all three scenes is: Is it warranted to give excessive attention to irrelevant causes or increase the influence of screens on one’s life?
Some interesting research talks about the impact of the screen and smartphones on human life.
Smartphone usage and addiction are so deeply entrenched in humanity that, now there have been illnesses that have been discovered related to smartphone phones.
Three of the popular ones are:
What is mentioned above is known to most but why does this addiction happen?
Let’s decipher that. Starting from the basics. There are two fundamental reasons why humans act and react.
Unconditioned Stimulus and Conditioned Stimulus.
In psychology, a stimulus is defined as any object or event that elicits a sensory or behavioral response in an organism.
Thus Stimulus can be internal or external, driven by senses. Stimulus leads to thoughts and thoughts lead to action. Then there are conditioned and unconditioned Stimuli.
During human evolution thousands of years back this stimulus and reaction to it were appropriate as any sound or change in gut feeling or change in visibility indicated something relevant from the perspective of survival and thus one needed to act to protect oneself from the unknown. However, in the modern day, that's not the case though the reaction remains the same.
Let’s proceed further -
What Smartphone has to do with Stimulus and Reflex?
Smartphones have replicated the stimulus that was life-threatening, though they just seek one's attention. The brain cannot differentiate between life-threatening or attention-seeking stimuli and thus reacts the same making it an addiction.
Addiction defies human intelligence and damages the sense of what is right and wrong.
How are Smartphone addiction and excessive usage impacting the core of the Universal system and thus the well-being of humans?
Going back to the Vedic roots.
The Law of Karma states that - good yields good and bad yields badly, or every action has repercussions, even if it is not visible instantly.
One’s past actions create one’s present and one’s present actions lead to one’s future. And to ensure there is enough motivation and discipline to act and act wisely for the benefit of oneself and for the benefit of others there are four objects of human pursuit popularly known as Purusharth.
These are
a. Dharma — the right thing, the righteousness.
b. Artha — Money, Wealth
c. Kama — Desire
d. Moksha — Liberation of Soul, Unification of Soul with Parmatma, Breaking the Cycle of Birth, Life & death
As one works towards 2nd and 3rd objects, the gratification is instant (results are visible) and thus one is prompted to act repeatedly. However, 1st and 4th objects don’t provide instant gratification or acknowledgment of efforts and hence require discipline and persistent perseverance.
Screen or Smart Phone is changing the core of Universal principles of Life and the need to even focus on the 2nd and the 3rd human object also is getting diminished.
The conditioned Stimulus of the notification of the phone has lowered the joy of meeting friends, social gatherings, and having conversations at the dinner table. The human world has got into a race of posting, getting acknowledgment, and reposting, and the cycle continues.
Thus Siddhartha Rastogi says,
"Not everything is bad about a Smartphone or screen as it enables ease in executing a lot many mundane tasks, but where is humanity using that time that's getting saved is a question one needs to ponder about."
Connect with the Author on Twitter: @beingsworld
Is the screen making humans lonely?
Can screens alter the basic reflex system of the human body?
How does the need, and now the greed for gratification diminish the core skills of humans?
Solitude is a unique phenomenon, sometimes it heals, and sometimes it kills.
Scene 1
David, a smart, competitive, and intelligent young boy, studied in class 7th in one of the most sought-after convent schools in the suburbs of Mumbai. Just a few days before he jumped off from the 10th floor of his high-rise tower, he texted a few of his friends in the group talking about death and what it will feel like when someone jumps off from a height without having a parachute. He was merely twelve years old, born with a silver spoon, with both parents working in senior management positions in top-notch MNCs.
Mother and father both came from humble backgrounds in small towns of India and made big in the financial capital. They both spoke about how essential it is to be in the top league across the spectrum from Studies to Sports. David was under tremendous pressure to perform on all fronts and the morning when he jumped in the wee hours, he just wrote a note stating
“Sorry Dad and Mom, I failed you, I am a failure, I didn’t meet your expectations and couldn't qualify for the football team of the school. Sorry I tried my best, but I failed. Forgive me, Dad and Mom”.
From where David got the concept or idea of ending his life. Parents or teachers never spoke about it. Was this a knee-jerk reaction or was it something that was brewing in young David’s mind for a long time?
Was he introduced to the idea of failures in life? Was he told that failures are stepping stones towards Success?
Why did no one tell him that one needs to improve only oneself every day and that there is no one whom one should compete apart from oneself?
Teenagers, Youth, Adults, and seniors today are living in silos or air-tight compartments (virtually) where no one can enter. One may have many friends on the screen but no one, to whom one can express freely, just being one's own self.
Scene 2
Ali, Fatima, and Noor were young and full of energy and they were best friends for the last fifteen years. That day, there were fewer lectures and they decided to bunk the college and go to Bandra Bandstand (Rocky seaside in Mumbai Suburbs). It’s been a long time. They have been planning it for the last few months. Thursday seems to be just the right day and it was bright and sunny. They went on the rocks and were clicking selfies. Ali had worn the new T-shirt that his Abbu had recently brought for him during the festive season.
Ali, the only son, was an apple of the eye of his parents. Off late he was low and anxious as his selfies, and posts were not getting too much mention or attention from friends and acquaintances on Facebook (FB) and Instagram (Insta) and thus he thought of an idea.
Why not perform a flying stunt at Bandstand, and post the pictures on FB & Insta and that will take the social media by storm?
Whilst all three were busy clicking selfies, Ali reached the edge of the rocks, and requested Fatima and Noor to capture him in the camera when he would jump from the rocks into the sea. The idea was simple, this stunt put in slow-motion will look like an act of flying and he will regain his glory with several likes and re-shares on social media.
Before Noor and Fatima could have understood anything, he handed over the phone to Fatima and was ready to perform. Fatima started recording the video. Ali jumped and after a few seconds, both heard a loud noise. Fatima and Noor rushed to the edge but couldn’t find Ali. They waited for a few minutes believing that Ali must be playing a prank and will come back soon, but Ali was never to be seen again.
Why is one obsessed with getting the other person's reactions?
Why has ratification and external acknowledgment become so important?
Millions of pictures and posts are put on social media every day, even if someone likes it for a nanosecond or impulsively puts a thumbs up, does that mean anything?
When one lacks a sense of fulfillment, one looks outside for acknowledgment. When one performs deep work or good work and one is happy with one’s own performance, then work itself is the reward and thus one does not have a craving to sell the same to others.
Scene 3
Sameer has been studying in the UK and has just come yesterday for a summer break of fifteen days. His father had bought a new Audi that can speed up from Zero to 100 KMs in less than five seconds. Roads were empty in the morning at Nariman Point (a premium locality in South Mumbai). So Sameer thought, why not test the speed claims made by manufacturers and enjoy the thrill of speed?
As the speedometer indicator crossed 100 km/hr, ping-ping came the notification, and Sameer, using his left hand, picked up the phone to see who has pinged him at that time. For Sameer, it was a reflex action and not a decision that the brain had to take.
Suddenly a lady talking on the phone came right in front of the car. He turned the steering wheel, hitting the car on the road divider and the car went turtle. Sameer was pronounced dead on arrival by the doctors at the hospital and the lady has been in a coma for over 3 months.
Why was the lady crossing the road while talking on the phone?
Why does every notification need to be attended to with the same urgency as a telegram of erstwhile days?
Humans are forgetting the Sense of Idleness or the Sense of Calmness. When one is doing nothing or engaged in a slow activity like walks or eating food etc, one is not at peace. For every act, one is now craving a stimulus.
The Reflection that runs across all three scenes is: Is it warranted to give excessive attention to irrelevant causes or increase the influence of screens on one’s life?
Some interesting research talks about the impact of the screen and smartphones on human life.
1. A study conducted in the UK suggests that when a person loses one’s smartphone, the level of stress one goes through with the loss of the phone is equivalent to what one will witness in a terrorist attack.
2. On average, Americans check their phones 344 times per day (that's once every 4 minutes).
3. Nearly 71% of Americans check their smartphones within ten minutes of waking up.
4. Almost half of Americans believe that they are addicted to their phones.
5. Another study in the UK suggests that one in six millennials (16%) say they would rather give up sex than part with their mobile phone.
What holds good for the West in the context of Smart Phones holds good for the entire humanity, as smartphone technology has made humanity its prisoner?
Smartphone usage and addiction are so deeply entrenched in humanity that, now there have been illnesses that have been discovered related to smartphone phones.
Three of the popular ones are:
- Nomophobia: The fear or anxiety caused by not having a mobile phone with oneself or going out without a mobile phone.
- Textaphrenia: The fear that one can’t send or receive texts
- Phantom Vibrations: The feeling that one’s phone is alerting, when it really isn’t
What is mentioned above is known to most but why does this addiction happen?
Let’s decipher that. Starting from the basics. There are two fundamental reasons why humans act and react.
Unconditioned Stimulus and Conditioned Stimulus.
In psychology, a stimulus is defined as any object or event that elicits a sensory or behavioral response in an organism.
Thus Stimulus can be internal or external, driven by senses. Stimulus leads to thoughts and thoughts lead to action. Then there are conditioned and unconditioned Stimuli.
During human evolution thousands of years back this stimulus and reaction to it were appropriate as any sound or change in gut feeling or change in visibility indicated something relevant from the perspective of survival and thus one needed to act to protect oneself from the unknown. However, in the modern day, that's not the case though the reaction remains the same.
Let’s proceed further -
Unconditioned stimulus: This type of stimulus unconditionally elicits a response.
For example, something unwanted getting in the mouth immediately leads to one spitting out. Reaction to Someone touching a hot surface evoking a response etc.
Conditioned Stimulus: A behavioral procedure in which a biologically potent stimulus is paired with a previously neutral stimulus. In simpler words, two stimuli are linked together to produce a new learned response in a person or animal.
For example when a bell is rung, initially it does not yield a response from a human. Over a period of time, if the food is served immediately after the bell is run, the ringing of the bell becomes a conditioned stimulus.Then comes the action part of it, which is known as a reflex.
What Smartphone has to do with Stimulus and Reflex?
Smartphones have replicated the stimulus that was life-threatening, though they just seek one's attention. The brain cannot differentiate between life-threatening or attention-seeking stimuli and thus reacts the same making it an addiction.
Addiction defies human intelligence and damages the sense of what is right and wrong.
How are Smartphone addiction and excessive usage impacting the core of the Universal system and thus the well-being of humans?
Going back to the Vedic roots.
The Law of Karma states that - good yields good and bad yields badly, or every action has repercussions, even if it is not visible instantly.
One’s past actions create one’s present and one’s present actions lead to one’s future. And to ensure there is enough motivation and discipline to act and act wisely for the benefit of oneself and for the benefit of others there are four objects of human pursuit popularly known as Purusharth.
These are
a. Dharma — the right thing, the righteousness.
b. Artha — Money, Wealth
c. Kama — Desire
d. Moksha — Liberation of Soul, Unification of Soul with Parmatma, Breaking the Cycle of Birth, Life & death
As one works towards 2nd and 3rd objects, the gratification is instant (results are visible) and thus one is prompted to act repeatedly. However, 1st and 4th objects don’t provide instant gratification or acknowledgment of efforts and hence require discipline and persistent perseverance.
Screen or Smart Phone is changing the core of Universal principles of Life and the need to even focus on the 2nd and the 3rd human object also is getting diminished.
The conditioned Stimulus of the notification of the phone has lowered the joy of meeting friends, social gatherings, and having conversations at the dinner table. The human world has got into a race of posting, getting acknowledgment, and reposting, and the cycle continues.
Thus Siddhartha Rastogi says,
"Not everything is bad about a Smartphone or screen as it enables ease in executing a lot many mundane tasks, but where is humanity using that time that's getting saved is a question one needs to ponder about."
Connect with the Author on Twitter: @beingsworld