“Wired for Distraction: Kids and Social Media” by Dalton Conley
This first article, though not exactly what I was looking for, proves my point that social media has distracted us more and more, possibly even from childhood. The “saturated media universe” we live in now supports “reactive stimuli” more than “top-down focus” (deep attention), according to Conley. When we get notifications, texts, or alerts from social sites, “our dopamine reward circuits probably get activated, since the desire for social connection is so wired into us”, says Anthony Wagner. This would be good for my report because it shows how the constant connection and alert systems that is prevalent throughout technology today has begun to almost “rewire” our brains so that we are used to short bursts of attention, lending to our distracted states of mind.
“Driven to Distraction” by Cate Kennedy
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article because it gave a viewpoint from the other side of the social networking debate: it was written by someone who refused to participate heavily in social networking. Shocking, no? In this article, Cate Kennedy recognizes the value of the internet and its “rich store of information” but criticizes those who become obsesses with social media like FaceBook or Twitter, asserting that it consumes their lives. SHe makes an interesting point about how it is becoming harder and harder to live in a world where you DON’T have a FaceBook or Twitter account that you check regularly; the Internet seems to be forcing us towards these sites in several ways such as “denying access” to certain sites or information unless you sign up for these sites. This source would be good for my report because it highlights how social media has become increasingly present in our lives and how it is almost like a drug now. Cate Kennedy’s anecdotes and research about these sites and about the type of people who “checks their email every five minutes and takes their iPhone to bed” will be invaluable because they show how social sites, with their alerts, give us a sense of reward with notifications, leading us to pursue short bursts of fulfillment and lending to our distracted states of mind.