Is Technology Ruining Your Life? - Tips for Taking Back Control

There is no doubt technology has changed our lives, and in many ways for the better.

Think of the time we now save with washing machines, microwave ovens, automated vacuum cleaners, pressure cookers, instant hot water taps, faster air travel, and of course computers, tablets and mobile phones.

But, is it all good? Are we becoming a slave to the digital devices that were designed to free us up?

And is our constant connectivity with our head buried into our mobile phones even putting our lives at risk?

Have you heard the one about they guy who walks into a bear while texting?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCAntD1-DIk

Seriously. You have to watch this to believe it.

And while we laugh at that footage, it highlights just how much technology has hacked our brains and our lives.

Check out the related segment I did recently on ABC News Breakfast - 

This is not an isolated case, there are multiple examples of people having injuries because their eyes are transfixed to their screens. Things as simple as walking into a pole and as fatal as walking off a cliff while attempting to photograph a sunset. There have also been incidents of people tumbling down stairs, running into doors, and falling into pools. Unfortunately teenagers and young adults seem to make up a large proportion of pedestrian accidents and injuries. Texting, wearing noise cancelling headphones, or having the phone to your ear distracts you from your surroundings when you cross the road and can be fatal in some cases.

In 2012, 15-year old Christina Morris-Ward was killed after being hit by a car while walking to school in the United States. She was dressed in dark coloured clothes, wearing headphones, and glancing at her phone while crossing the street when the fatal accident occurred. With teens now accounting for half of all pedestrian deaths, Christina’s mother, Gwen, wanted to ensure this tragedy did not occur to other families, and started the Moment of Silence campaign in conjunction with Safe Kids Worldwide. The action is simple: in memory of Christina and all the other young lives taken from pedestrian accidents, commit to putting your mobile phone away while crossing the street.

In Victoria alone, 196 pedestrians have been killed on the roads in the past five years. One man that escaped this statistic, but not unscathed was Bill Hodges. Mr Hodges was struck by a tram is 2006 and suffered a broken back, broken neck, broken ribs, amputation of the right thumb and had to have 60 centimetres of his bowel removed. His legs are also damaged and he now has to walk using crutches – he believes he was distracted at the time of the accident.

Research has shown an increase in the number of injuries to pedestrians using mobile phones due to reduced situation awareness, distracted attention and unsafe behaviour when talking or texting. This now parallels the number of injuries for drivers who text and drive. "It is just like having alcohol on board, you don't realise what is going on around you, so the phone is almost like a drug" says Dr Tony Grabs, trauma director at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney.

Did you also hear the one about the clown on the unicycle?

In a 2010 study by researchers at the Western Washington University, this theory was tested when pedestrians were observed crossing a busy square to see if distracted walkers would notice obvious events occurring around them. The stimulus was a clown on a unicycle.

Results showed that 60% of people who were walking with a friend noticed the clown, 33% of those listening to music or walking by themselves saw it, but only 8% of those talking on their mobile remember seeing the clown. This study shows how dangerous phones can be as they reduce your awareness of what’s happening in the periphery. Combine this with busy roads and it could end in fatality. Research is calling this phenomenon 'inattentional blindness'.

The Facts

• According to industry report ‘Digital Down Under’, 13.4 million Australians spend an average of 18.8 hours a day online with 71% of those surveyed checking their email first thing in the morning while a whopping 47% check it again at night before going to bed
• In a 60 minutes special last year that investigated internet addiction disorder, MRI scans showed that screen addiction distorts the same brain function as alcohol, drug and gambling addiction – namely decision making, emotions and self-control
• Children and young toddlers are now showing signs of screen addiction as parents use these devices to get a few minutes peace to themselves
• Digital detox centres now exist to help deal with this new issue – clients who check themselves in admit to being online for upwards of 18 hours a day. Many of those addicted say their identity and self-esteem is closely interwoven with being online and the gaming world.
• Adam Good, Telstra’s director of digital media and content has said that consumers now look at their phones an average of 150 times per day for content, media experiences, email or simply checking the time
• According to the 2014 Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index
• 61 per cent of respondents chose a mobile phone over a TV
• 30 per cent of respondents claimed they always use their mobiles while in bed or watching TV, while 39% admitted to being on their mobile phones while travelling on public transport

4 Tips to Unplug:

1. Break the habit
2. Mobile free meals
3. Build in technology free time (or, Go analogue)
4. Enjoy moments of silence

I'd love to hear your opinion on technology. Are you or someone you know addicted? Or what have you done to keep your own technology use in check?

-Andrew May

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Workplace performance expert Andrew May has been helping his white-collar clients achieve both physical and mental gains for decades.

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