Technology’s invasion into our daily lives has unleashed a vast array of books and literature that tell us how to keep our gadgets from dominating us. Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal is one such book. It explores the psychological foundations for distractions and suggests … Read more
On December 26, 17-year-old Bryce Gowdy from Deerfield Beach, Florida, posted a tweet: “To be or not to be.” A few days later, he committed suicide. The tell-tale tweet is typical of how social media has dominated the lives of young people. Even their deaths are announced for all who want to see. … Read more
There was a time, decades ago when the world was divided between those who were online and offline. Rich people could afford the shiny new gadgets that connected them with everyone. Poor people were left in an analog wasteland on the other side of the digital divide. Social justice warriors of the … Read more
Everyone talks about the addictive aspect of Twitter but not its moral effects. Can Twitter lead to sin? Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, R.I. evidently thinks so. In a final tweet, he wrote that the social media platform had become a “distraction” to him, an “obstacle” to his spiritual life and an “occasion … Read more
The Russian collusion case has been dominating the headlines for some time. Recent indictments seem to prove that 13 Russian individuals and 3 companies operated thousands of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts aimed at influencing the American elections and destabilizing the country. Investigators have sounded the alarm saying tens of millions may … Read more
As I look upon the desolate landscape of sound bites, tweets and other social media, I cannot help but lament what has happened to our culture. Almost all Americans have a high school education. And today more people than ever have college degrees. One would expect reading levels to be increasing. Real … Read more
Everyone has seen it happen. Suddenly, in the middle of a conversation at an event, a person feels compelled to answer an “urgent” message, frequently without bothering to offer any explanation. This compulsive behavior is triggered by the fear of missing out on some social interaction which the person judges critical. Courtesy … Read more
A verdict has just been passed on Facebook, and the news is not good. A new study has come out pointing out the negative effects of Facebook. This study claims to be much more rigorous than those of the past. Of course, Facebook has always had its enemies. It is not surprising … Read more
Marketers have long understood that one of the most powerful weapons in their arsenal is fear created by anxiety. While anxiety is not properly fear, it does trigger fear, which in turn activates our primal instincts—the fight-or-flight syndrome. Anxiety can provoke many different types of fear: fear of missing out; fear of … Read more
Sociologist Robert Nisbet once said that the quest for community cannot be suppressed. It is one of the most powerful needs of human nature. Through community, a clear sense of purpose and belonging is established. People feel they belong to institutions that help put them in order. Many think social media can … Read more