Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Wednesday Factoid: Technological Distractions

Today's Wednesday Factoid is: Are you distracted by technology?

Oh yeah, definitely.

I am probably actively using my computer and my smart phone more often than anyone I know, though I like to think I'm not being rude to people through their use. I don't ignore what people are saying and pick up my phone, or interrupt social interaction to have a phone call or something, but I usually check whatever's making my phone's light blink very quickly after I get the notification. (The problem comes--usually with texting or Facebook messages--when I don't have the ability to answer right then, and then I sometimes kinda forget about it until the next time I have to go into that messaging program.)

As a writer, technology distracting me can be a little disastrous, but if I choose to I can turn it off, block it out, and just sit down and write. I just . . . usually don't. Don't want to.

I think it causes a little anxiety for me, though--especially if I get a negative YouTube comment or a criticism on something. Then I feel terribly anxious until I address it, and if it's an ongoing back-and-forth then I'll be distracted worrying about whether the person is going to say something crappy to me. It's rare, but occasionally I'll get worked up enough about this to have trouble sleeping. It can be a problem. That's part of the reason I've pulled WAY back on Internet arguments in the last few years. I don't want to start them or participate in them unless I kinda have to, because then I'm emotionally invested and distracted by what's coming next, and I'm anxious about whether the person is going to be enough of an asshat that I'll need to block them or something.

I like to have access to my technology. It doesn't always mean I have to be using it; just knowing the option is there is enough for me. I used to have a MUCH harder time traveling because I didn't have a laptop or a smart phone so I had no way to access stuff that was going on unless I used someone's computer (and I didn't like doing that). Now I'm much less anxious about it because I can look at it whenever I want. I don't like being cut off. 



I'm not often listening to music on headphones or anything, but I do love having music playing in the background while I'm drawing or interacting with friends or cleaning. So that's technology too. I don't like it to be playing if I'm trying to write or concentrating on words, though.

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