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THE SHORT END:
Corded tech became mobile.
We were no longer tethered by the length of the cord…or to a stationary place from where we needed to send and receive messages. And, we were no longer fixed to a set time of day or night to receive messages. These freedoms arrived in smaller and smaller packages over time.
It was all blue sky. Except….
Being free of the cord…and the ability to send messages at any time from any place….brought disruption. We began to do more things at once without paying as much attention to any of them. The blue sky freedom ushered in new habits… multitasking and divided attention.
Distraction increased. But like a cloud it floated onward.
Transportation planners were among the first to draw attention to this problem. There was an alarming upsurge in accidents and fatalities among distracted drivers, pedestrians and bikers. Laws that now require hands-free driving have been helpful, but most drivers don’t comprehend the full risks.
In many ways our daily lives have been transformed by multitasking and divided attention…. along with our social and psychological aspirations. It is fair to say that for many, our social media likes and followers become a measure of self-worth.
Which leads to the all-important question of who is raising the kids and are all the kids alright? Since 2010 we have had a generation raised spending more time with media and less undistracted time with their caregivers, and engaged in creative play, and electronic-free.
