Tod Maffin explains why gadgets promised to save time but actually consume it through constant notifications and tinkering. The brain can't multitask, only rapidly switch between tasks, degrading performance. Heavy device use correlates with higher stress, burnout, and marital conflict.
One thing is certain about human nature: we're born talkers. The urge to communicate is universal. The opportunity to stay connected, now almost limitless. 12 billion text messages are sent worldwide every day. But has all that web surfing, all that messaging become too much of a good thing? Are we at risk of becoming digital dummies?
It's an issue for everyone. I don't think I've met a single person who says that they're happy managing the technology pace.
Watching how we use our computers and cell phones is Tod Maffin's business.
For some reason, we believe that we're the only ones. Everyone around us, friends and colleagues, seem busy, seem productive. So we believe that they're all doing well, and then we look at ourselves and say, "Gosh, I've got 200 emails in my inbox, and it's Monday morning at 8:30. I haven't even started the day. What am I doing wrong? What is it about me?" that is failing here. And secretly, inside all of those other people that we admire, everyone is having that feeling. One of the problems with living in an always-on society is we perceive the need to always be on. It's just because technology has come on scene, we believe that somehow, and the marketing has convinced us, that it's a better way of doing it. I'm not convinced it is.
The trouble is, now we have this stuff, we're hooked on it.
Can you name some places where you text in? My car, bathtub, the office. Since we've been talking, this thing has vibrated 4 times, and I'll tell you, I'm dying to check it.
Even the most powerful man in the world put up a fight, and won, when his security detail tried to take his BlackBerry away.
Before they got the BlackBerry, they were working about 47 hours a week. 9 months later, the average number of hours was just over 70. Okay? So you see that work leaks into everything. All of the partners talked about the fact that they come in and they don't even say hi to me. They're on the thing as they walk in the door. It's beside them at the dinner table. It buzzes. Our data says it's associated with increased levels of stress, increased levels of burnout, decreased job satisfaction, decreased life satisfaction, increased marital, uh, conflict. So all of those those kinds of things would suggest that it's not utopia and that in fact it's got its place, but for many of us, we've forgotten what its place is.
One of the great myths of technology is that when you buy a gadget, you know, like these things, it's supposed to give you more time. In fact, what happens is it takes time away from us in many cases because we're tinkering with it, we're setting up the themes and the skins and we're troubleshooting and things like that. So that begins to stress people out in itself.
Actually, it's called the productivity paradox. The more you invest in technology, Actually, the less productive your people are.
You know, our brain is really only capable of single-tasking, working on one thing at a time. And some people will say, "Well, I multitask all the time. I do it, so my brain's capable." That's not really what's happening. In fact, what you're doing is task-switching at a very quick rate.
Still thinking you're a great multitasker? Try this awareness test. Count the number of passes the white team makes. The answer is 13. But did you notice the witch walking through the practice?
It's critical. We will either manage the technology around us or it will manage us. And if it's the latter, if it manages us, we are doomed to anxiety.
Ten times Canada helped the U.S. with its wildfires, instead of whining about the smoke. 
