We are in an attention-deprived culture.

I am part of it, so I speak from inside of it, not as some elitist overlord.

Before I begin: I challenge you, as an exercise in what I am about to discuss, to read through this whole article, every word, and observe how it affects you—how you may be truly interested in the subject matter but..

...you notice that little red notification
…or you are wondering if your friend texted you back
…or if your earnings on here went up
…or are just feeling a generalized, non-specific but familiar “itch” to move on.

Challenge yourself to actually read this—without just skimming--and observe yourself as you do.

........................................................................................................

Exhibit A: Me

Today, I came to sit at my computer to write this article. Then I decided I needed some lunch. Then I got distracted by my to do list, which got me thinking about another list, which then had me scheduling out my bill payments for the next two months. Then my cousin texted me with a picture of her new hedgehog (no joke—obviously that was all-consuming for a stretch!)

She just texted me back. I of course responded.

At some point, I decided I needed to cut up my strawberries. And in between it all somewhere, I made some other list about something I have to do. And then went for a little walk.

Phew.

Does anyone else get tired of this constant flitting about?

(Literally just as I wrote this I remembered I had something on the stove I forgot about, and ran to grab it. You can’t make this stuff up).

We never seem to spend more than a few moments plugged into ONE thing. It’s constantly Look here! Go there! Check that! Look back here!

The pace is maddening, and we never seem to just relax into the beauty of specific things.

I’m not sure exactly where I remember this from, but I remember reading a few times how the human person is made to be able to be absorbed by activities, focused with laser-like attention on things that are worthwhile, one at a time, and that this is what brings us satisfaction in our work and in our life. The constant gear-shifting really messes with us.

It is an incredible feeling when one has the opportunity to enter into something with that absorption. Time disappears. The world inside seems to expand and expand. And there is this feeling of peace, rhythm, and ownership of oneself and one’s life.

These days, a person has to consciously choose to give things attention, because there will constantly be bids for our time and attention resources. Our lives are emphatically not naturally contemplative, as they were perhaps in simpler times where most people performed manual, rhythmic tasks throughout the day.

At no other time do I think it has ever been so much this way of distraction. The internet is literally rewiring our brains—we aren’t just rude people who don’t care; we are actually being made incapable of keeping attention. Our brains have become somewhat less able!

I experience this.

Truth be told, I was at a small, rigorous university for grad studies when The Smart Phone hit and I missed all the fanfare adjustment period with everyone else. I actually had one, but the cell plans were so cheap in Austria that I only really thought of it as an emergency thing. I only used it for phone calls and texting, and because I spent almost all of my time on campus, I always had wifi access so didn’t bother with data. Because my classes and the community life were extremely demanding, I didn’t really involve myself much at all with social media.

So, for a couple of years as the whole cultural wave hit, I was almost entirely unaffected. On top of this, I spent my days hammering away at heavy, heavy, centuries-and-milliennia-old philosophical and theological texts and learning Latin and Greek and German, so while the general cultural attention capacity deteriorated, mine was likely increasing. This left me perfectly poised as an objective responder to the smart phone and social media phenomenon.

When I came back, the cultural difference was shocking. My friends no longer gave me their full attention when I talked. There was always one hand stroking their phone, waiting for something better to come through. Everyone was suddenly looking at their phone instead of the streets and people as they walked.

This was a new and alien world, and I vowed to keep from entering into it in the way I found so disturbing in the transition.

But here I am, 3 1/2 years later, and only mildly better than the average bear. I can easily leave my phone aside for a few hours still. But it is harder to read the difficult texts I used to find enjoyable. I am constantly aware of and checking my phone. And I go into a mild but real panic if I can’t find it for a minute.

At this point, it is in many ways a tired thing to discuss “what technology is doing to us,” especially as it is so often doomsday—especially when we don’t count the blessings alongside some of the curses (there are many.. ahem, Steem).

But it worth continuing the conversation about, to my mind, and challenging ourselves in a big way to improve our attention and decrease our tech addictions. It is especially important for the artists and writers, who can only do really great work with impeccable attention to detail—which requires excellent, cultivated attention.

And it’s not about being accusatory; it’s about what is actually best for us all, to have a truly GOOD life.

If we want to live the full capacities of what it is to be human, with a sense of satisfaction and fullness in our life, work, and relationships, we will need to make some very uphill but worthwhile decisions with regard to building attention and avoiding distraction.

I hope to discuss this more in the months to come, as it pertains to quality art and conversation as well--which most of you know, I am incredibly passionate about.

Xx, Kay

PS: I would love to hear your thoughts about this! Let me know in the comments below.

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