- Share This Post
- Pin It
- 0
-
Sparkle (0)
To begin, I am not a psychologist. (Nor do I play one on TV.) I would, though, like to propose that a new syndrome could be developing that might (or might not) be a placing a strain on one's mental health. I call it Self-Induced Attention Deficit Disorder - SIADD.
I've noticed, more and more, that I'm doing many things at the same time due to my increasing use of technology. I can participate in a committee teleconference, respond to thought bites in Twitter, edit a technical paper, text my son, update my LinkedIn profile, check my email, keep up with news in Google Reader, watch CNN, and listen to tunes - all pretty much simultaneously. My laptop, cell phone, Blackberry, TV, and iPod hum away, performing all the tasks I demand of them. I feel quite productive, informed, and connected.
Yet, when it comes time to focus on a single task, I find that sometimes I can't concentrate. My mind wanders in many directions, and I lose my train of thought. I usually end up firing up my devices, taking mini-breaks frequently to send messages or play a song. If I were, for instance, a brain surgeon, this would be a problem.
My "attention deficit disorder" is certainly self-induced. It's not genetic or caused by a virus or a chemical imbalance. It's my choice to surround myself with new technologies and make the most of them. And I do enjoy it.
Whether SIADD will become a societal problem or not remains to be seen. In the meantime, it's time for a tweet.
