Apparently, there is a new name for something that might be new or might be old. Having trouble focusing, you might just be getting old or you might have “popcorn brain.” Not sure why they decided to call this lack of focus due to data overload for one of my favorite snacks.
Admit it, we all spend way too much time on our computers and phones just scrolling through news and social media. It is easier now that we can carry tiny little computers in our pocket in the form of a phone.
But as we consume all this content, it might have a negative effect on our ability to focus. Psychologist Gloria Mark has been studying attention spans for the last 20 years. Her research shows that when looking at a screen in 2004 people paid attention for 2½ minutes. In 2016 that attention span dropped to 47 seconds, the length of many social media videos.
But it doesn’t end there. Dr. Aditi Nerurkar has written a book entitled “The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress and More Resilience.” She describes popcorn brain as when “our brains get habituated to this constant streaming of information, making it harder for us to look away and disconnect from our devices, slow down our thoughts, and live fully offline.” Does this sound familiar to any of you?
The concept was created by researcher David Levy in 2011. It can lower productivity levels, affect memory, and cause stress.
Dr. Nerurkar suggests four pieces of advice to reset your brain:
• Limit yourself to no more than 20 minutes twice a day of scrolling on your phone. The rest of the time, use it as an actual phone when you need to.
• Turn off notifications and pop-up features.
• When at work, keep your smartphone at least 10 feet away. She suggests doing this at home when spending time with family also. It might be noted that smartwatches mean your phone can be that far away and you still know what your phone is trying to tell you.
• Don’t put the phone on your nightstand when you go to bed.
Nerurkar said it won’t be easy when you start these practices. She suggested having a book, a notepad, or a fidget toy nearby for when you want to grab your phone. Or you can just get up and take a short walk around the room. If you can do it, your stress levels should also be lower in time.
So, what do you think? Are you ready to not spend your life on your smartphone? Do you have other creative ideas to help you stay off your phone and stay focused on the task at hand?