2010: Year of digital distraction? by Niki2

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

2010: Year of digital distraction?

POSTED BY: NIKI2
UPDATED: Monday, December 28, 2009 16:25
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 8:46 AM

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

The "real-time Web" is booming. From Twitter to Facebook to new search engines that discover information posted just seconds ago, it seems the 2010 Web will be fueled by our desire for instant gratification.

But between Facebook status updates, Tweets and new mobile applications that deliver breaking news on our phones, will we be driven to distraction in 2010?

The interruptive Web: What's new?

We're one paragraph into this article and I've already been notified that I have five new Twitter updates, received one breaking news alert and seen three new e-mails pop into my inbox.

What's new? After all, e-mail, instant messaging and text messages were distractions devised more than a decade ago. Has anything really changed?

Yes: The network itself has become faster and virtually omnipotent.

Ubiquitous connectivity and the need for speed

One factor that's dramatically different at the end of this decade versus the beginning: Ubiquitous connectivity.

McDonalds is set to introduce Free Wi-Fi in its U.S. restaurants in January, while Google is providing free wireless Internet at selected airports this holiday season.

Meanwhile, Virgin America, American, Delta, United and other major airlines have ensured that the skies are no longer digitally disconnected. All now provide Wi-Fi on their flights. Verizon is running attack ads against AT&T -- and AT&T is counterattacking with equal force -- over which company provides the best 3G coverage. Take note: This isn't about which company has the best network coverage, since it's already taken as read that cell phone reception is fairly ubiquitous at this point. Rather, the phone companies are warring over who has the kind of high-speed connectivity that will let you watch YouTube videos while you're hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Shifting expectations

All this connectivity raises our expectations of an immediate response. Colleagues, friends and relatives become accustomed to the idea that we're always on and available. Few sanctuaries of digital disconnectedness remain, and consumers aren't mourning their loss. Our addiction to being constantly connected to our online communities and the world's information is insatiable.

At the time of writing, for example, a BlackBerry outage is resulting in hundreds of complaints per minute on Twitter. Writes one disgruntled BlackBerry owner: "feeling disconnected. when will service be restored??"

Real-time apps: Productivity boon or bust?

Capitalizing on our constant connectedness and our desire to live in the now, so called "real-time" applications have dominated the Web startup landscape in late 2009.

Desktop applications like TweetDeck and Seesmic let users consume scores of Twitter and Facebook updates throughout the day. News reading tool Google Reader now delivers breaking news within moments, not minutes; collaborative tool Google Wave lets users work together in an environment where every letter they type is shared with the group instantly. Hitting the "enter" key to send a complete thought is much too slow these days.

Mobile versions of these apps, meanwhile, follow you everywhere you go. Speed and connectivity may be satisfying, addictive and in high demand, but is our collective neophilia making us less productive?

Multitasking myths

In a response to my recent CNN column exploring the real-time Web, psychologist Jim Taylor points out that while instant gratification is highly compelling, it's likely to create yet more digital distractions. It's true. Studies show that multitasking -- the kind of behavior that real-time applications foster -- hurts productivity.

A summary of research by the American Psychological Association states that "Multitasking may seem efficient on the surface but may actually take more time in the end and involve more errors."

The mistakes sneak in because of "switching costs" when rapidly changing tasks, the studies suggest. Surprisingly, "chronic media multitaskers" perform the worst in testing of their multitasking abilities, according to a 2009 report. In other words, those who consider themselves proficient multitaskers perform the worst on the tests.

2010: Innovation or interruption?

In short, Web companies are rushing to satiate our desire for instant gratification, pushing real-time updates to us anywhere, anytime. And yet the studies show that these constant interruptions make it harder for us to process the information -- to digest it, come to conclusions and take action.

Could the "now Web" do us more harm than good?

As a technology optimist, I'd like to believe we'll spot this problem and confront it. In my recent column 10 Web Trends to Watch in 2010, I proposed "content curation" as one antidote to information overload.

By allowing our friends or teams of professional editors to comb the Web and extract the gems, we'd receive more relevant information at less frequent intervals. Technical solutions seem plausible, too: Filters that separate the wheat from the Web chatter.

If all else fails, of course, we can turn off, something I hope you'll get a chance to do over the holidays.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 9:03 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

Speaking of which... this is too funny...

http://www.lolfbmoments.com/

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 10:26 AM

FREMDFIRMA

Well, there's developing an actual attention span, something public schools and social consciousness seem quite determined to prevent - one reason I pull for the Sudbury model of education, obviously, and better parenting would be a start but where does one find the time when both parents are busting ass trying to scratch and scrape enough to hold down the fort, trying to get ahead and every time they DO climb an income bracket there's the damn tax vulture knockin em back down...

Do ya know, cause of the income split, I make exactly the SAME amount of money workin 33hours as opposed to 40hours cause the tax bracket jumps and I lose seven hours labor to taxes, no shit, the difference between em in take home pay is less than ten bucks.
Small biz and especially independent contractors get so terribly screwed.

As for the internet, I completely despise all that flashy-spinny ram it in your face advertisement, especially when they take control of YOUR machine, like the ads that subvert your speakers and scream, that one was especially horrible, or overlays (lookin at YOU Yahoo!) that block everything but themselves, etc etc.

The pay-per-click system is the root of that corruption, and it's the reason I use a custom military grade browser with the ability to block that shit - but on my office PC Mozilla Firefox with AdBlock Plus does a right decent job of it too, of course the spam throwers are screamin a fit and wanting AdBlock banned, but fuck em, it's MY computer - and anyone or anything trying to force itself past MY security measures qualifies in my opinion as an attack, period.

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/upgrade.html

http://adblockplus.org/en/

Seriously, let em suck dust and ashes, it's YOUR computer, folks, not theirs.

-F

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 10:32 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

Of course, you COULD just set your preferences to NOT notify you when you get a new e-mail, twit, etc. But that's probably beyone the capabilities of many people these days...

If I want to know if I have any new e-mails, I check my e-mail.

Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 10:52 AM

OUT2THEBLACK

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

Well, there's developing an actual attention span, something public schools and social consciousness seem quite determined to prevent -

....As for the internet, I completely despise all that flashy-spinny ram it in your face advertisement, -F

Sure you do...

Those Folk needing to develop 'an actual attention span' would do well to spend more of their 'free time' doing some self-educating work , rather than whinge-ing
about it when their latest thread attempt doesn't go the way they envisioned...

Cyberspace is everting...

Some here claim to be grounded in 'reality' , but stare into the box incessantly in the hope of achieving 'social connectedness'.

Deeply ironic...

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 11:03 AM

FREMDFIRMA

Oh quit being such a whiny bitch, Out2B.

If you don't wanna SEE it, right click it, go down to the bottom of the list where it says Adblock Image and then select the image or the root, whichever you prefer and click ADD FILTER.

Poof, gone, no fuss, no muss.
(again, Mozilla + ABP, as above)

If I am seein that banner, it's cause I WANT to, cause maybe I just happen to believe in the sentiment expressed by it.

If you don't wanna see it, I just told you how not to, problem solved, right ?

Do I have to hold your hand when you cross the street, too ?

-F

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 11:06 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

That's weird...posting my signature in response to a quote by Frem.

So I assume you're talking about me? I didn't bother to read what you said, 'cuz I know where you're coming from so why bother?

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 11:06 AM

OUT2THEBLACK

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

Oh quit being such a whiny bitch, Out2B.

Do I have to hold your hand when you cross the street, too ?

-F

That's yo' mama , hollerin' at you to come out of the basement...

That's yo' mama , holding yer hand while you two cross the street , too .

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 11:09 AM

OUT2THEBLACK

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
That's weird...posting my signature in response to a quote by Frem.

So I assume you're talking about me? I didn't bother to read what you said, 'cuz I know where you're coming from so why bother?

Funny that , YOU saying something is *weird* .

It's your right to remain ignorant...Or , more accurately in your case , " ign'ant ".

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 11:27 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up

Since I don't answer the landline phone, delete 95% of emails without opening, and can count the number of folks who have my cell number without taking my shoes off, I'm not really the one to comment about this.

Nevertheless...

I have to wonder about folks who have dozens or even hundreds of Facebook, Twitter, whatever, friends. Do they ever get to know any folks well, are these all just superficial?

I also wonder about folks who get news updates all the time. Do they tailor their system to only provide stuff they're interested in, or stuff that comes from sources that meet their preconceptions, be it Fox News or the Village Voice.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 11:32 AM

KWICKO

Quote:
Originally posted by out2theblack:
Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

Oh quit being such a whiny bitch, Out2B.

Do I have to hold your hand when you cross the street, too ?

-F

That's yo' mama , hollerin' at you to come out of the basement...

That's yo' mama , holding yer hand while you two cross the street , too .

Really? You're down to "yo mama" comebacks, Short Bus?

How long 'til you start claiming that Frem or Niki are trying to have you banned? ;)

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 11:51 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

"(attention span)... public schools and social consciousness seem quite determined to prevent ..."

I think a lot of problems begin far earlier than school. Your view of the world and your view of yourself - the essense of your personality - is pretty well formed before then.
I do agree that our collective social consciousness begins its imprint quite early, via the parents. Because many parents are just another cog in the problem. And even IF the parents are humane, they have to make sure to teach the kids - there is the world here in this house, and then there is that world out there where things don't work the same. Either way, the kids learn.

***************************************************************

BTW - I try to keep MY posts short to conform to MY attention span.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 3:12 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Geezer

Quote:
I also wonder about folks who get news updates all the time. Do they tailor their system to only provide stuff they're interested in, or stuff that comes from sources that meet their preconceptions, be it Fox News or the Village Voice.

You know, that *IS* worth a cold, hard, second thought, isn't it ?

I try to get a wider sampling myself for avoidance of that very thing, limiting your info streams to only those who agree with you can result in a dangerous blindness, I think - but since so few folk fully agree with me, heh heh, I don't think that's gonna be too much of an issue here.
Good point though.

One of the interesting bits about being an Anarchist is how the philosopy circles around the edge of the political cycle from right->libertarian->liberal and encompasses elements from each like a buffet table, cause we know there is no one single group that has all the answers, but between us all, we might just have all the pieces of the puzzle if we can stop knockin heads long enough to get em on the table.

Rue

Quote:
I do agree that our collective social consciousness begins its imprint quite early, via the parents. Because many parents are just another cog in the problem. And even IF the parents are humane, they have to make sure to teach the kids - there is the world here in this house, and then there is that world out there where things don't work the same. Either way, the kids learn.

There's that - one problem I'd love to work on if I could only figure out the HOW is to raise the standard of living back to where parents have the freakin TIME to invest in child-rearing, cause it's so very important from a social aspect, but right now trying to reform our education system is something I have my hooks into pretty deep, and I wouldn't know where to even start on the standard of living thing, but I do know that saner people lead to a saner society.

You've got a point about the world outside, and the world inside - while her mother is unforgivably racist, as are her classmates, my niece knows full and well that you DO NOT, EVER use a racial slur in MY house, period.
I don't have a lot of "rules" as compared to her mother, given that imma Anarchist and believe a free and gentle hand works better than a crushing iron first, but that kinda intolerance is absolutely verboten.

Workin with some folk on a project, but their website design is pretty awful right now (the window refit is annoyin), though their heart is in the right place.
http://www.thewaronkids.com
The trailer is worth a watch, indeed.

-F

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 3:50 PM

DREAMTROVE

Niki

I think that this is in the sea of unanchored exploration of technology. It will find a destination which will be extremely advanced and sci-fi. It's not at all what it seems. It's very Maneki Neko.

Frem,

Ah, you force me to disclose a truth: I could chose to exceed the poverty line and have life long chosen not to do so. It's way too much time spent studying economics. There's so much to be said for being poor. If my business increases its stock, which has no technical economic value, then it increases its earning power, just as long as my own income never exceeds poverty. Having my own property valued at as close to zero as possible is another trick. I pay my taxes, but it comes to a couple hundred a year. By collecting non-tangible non-liquid accumulation as opposed to liquid assets I actually do better than if I were to earn income. I could say a lot more, but really shouldn't. Feel free to email me though ;)

Speaking of which...

o2tb,

This would be one of those times when you walked directly into the line of fire. Try to recognize them in the future

Geezer,

Yes, they do. It's a tactic I've used myself. Most initial human contact is fairly superficial. After a while you begin to get to know people, you find out who will be interesting to continue knowing. It's not always the people you would have guessed at the beginning.

To have 250 friends on a social network site is a form of networking. You will select, in time, those who are really worthing keeping in touch with.

The hardest trick in this is actually to not let *them* select *you*. I've found that the people who select you as a permanent contact are people who tend to be unstable, even psychotic, and need someone to solve all of their problems for them. Maybe they do, but I don't have the time to be that person. It may sound cold, but these people can eat up a lot of time.

Keeping 250 superficial contacts doesn't really use that much time.

I'm more disturbed by people who only circulate friendly territory. If they're looking for traffic, that's probably a good tactic, but if they're looking to broaden their horizons, then they probably haven't chosen the right venue. And, yeah, Fox and Daily Kos are full of people who just want to hear people agree with them. IMHO, these people are basically weak.

This is part of why I like debating people with whom I have some radical disagreements with *here*. They had to the courage to post them here, where they *knew* that they would come under full scale assault. That, in itself, says something about the poster.

Kathy

Some day I endeavour to make my posts the length of yours. My inner Hoffer always tells me to.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 4:54 PM

KWICKO

Quote:
Originally posted by Geezer:
Since I don't answer the landline phone, delete 95% of emails without opening, and can count the number of folks who have my cell number without taking my shoes off, I'm not really the one to comment about this.

Nevertheless...

I have to wonder about folks who have dozens or even hundreds of Facebook, Twitter, whatever, friends. Do they ever get to know any folks well, are these all just superficial?

I also wonder about folks who get news updates all the time. Do they tailor their system to only provide stuff they're interested in, or stuff that comes from sources that meet their preconceptions, be it Fox News or the Village Voice.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

As I've mentioned before, I tend to get a LOT of news information streaming into my head. I try to mix up the sources to look for the stories between the lines, or at least to get a sense of what the REAL stories really are, rather than what celebrity death or arrest they're going to cover on the network news tonight. You'd be shocked at the number of rather important things that never get a mention in the most-watched "news" reports. Or maybe you wouldn't.

Anyhoo, I get all this info, and then I start doing my own looking online, paying little to no attention to the source's political bent (but really, if it's Huffington or Fox, you don't really have to ask their agenda or leanings, right?), and trying to flesh out what they AREN'T saying.

I actually TRY to dig a bit and find sources that I don't know the leanings of, if I can. At this point, I figure I know most of the big players, and which side they're pushing, so I'll dodge them if I can find an "independent" source. Sometimes I'll link a HuffPost story, sometimes I'll link a Fox story. I'd prefer to link it from a more objective source, if possible.

Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 5:12 PM

KIRKULES

Just in the last couple of weeks I signed up for Facebook at my wife's insistence. I immediately started to get friend requests and after just a week have almost thirty Facebook "friends". I pulled up the list the other day and realized that only two people on the list would I actually consider friends, all the others are friends of friends. The only reason they wanted to be my friend is to be able to see what their friend is saying to me. I suppose I could try to develop relationships with the others, but having friends is such an inconvenience.

The only thing that I think is cool about the site is that if I ever go postal or something, the Feds and the media wont have any problem rounding up potential accomplices. Do you really want to be Facebook "friends" with friends of friends?

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Thursday, December 24, 2009 6:39 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

"... if I could only figure out the HOW is to raise the standard of living back to where parents have the freakin TIME to invest in child-rearing ..."

It starts with the parents. If you could figure out how to be a Ghandi and bring the realization to many at once - that this world is our CHOICE and we can CHOOSE different ... and that the difference is nothing more than what is in our minds ...

... but as I used to post - the hardest thing to change is a mind.

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

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Monday, December 28, 2009 4:25 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Actually, while I think that's worth exploration and I *DO* try to reach out to them, you are aware as I am how insidious and effective the indoctrination methods of this screwed up society are.

So I try to get to kids who will one day BE parents, and give them tools to resist that indoctrination - taking the long view, which is finally starting to pay off in many small ways already.

-F

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