Social Media, Your Beautiful Brain and a Need for Some #TechDisruption: 3 Part Series

Disruptive Technology

In 1997, the term “disruptive technology” emerged as a term to help people conceptualize the rapid growth and impact of technology in our lives. Super smart Harvard Business professor, Clayton M. Christensen, coined this term in his best selling book, “The Innovator’s Dilemma”. He presented the idea of separating new technology into two categories: sustaining and disruptive. Sustaining technology relies on incremental improvements to an already established technology. Making what already exists better. A disruptive technology shakes things up a little by introducing something completely new.

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What I want to share with you today is disruptive technology for your “necktop” computer, your lovely brain. I want to start with considering the wiring of your brain and the positive and negative impacts that technology has had on our brain development.

This is definitely not a post slagging technology nor ripping on millenials. I LOVE technology, like seriously love technology! I just want to offer some suggestions around how to have a smart relationship with your phone so that it is mutually beneficial.

What Makes Me a Tech Use Expert?

Well, the reason I think this is an important topic is because I have had the benefit of being a bona fide member of GenX which provided me with a titrated tech experience. This slow drip of new technology created an environment perfect to learn how to love and own a smart phone without it owning me. So, I think I just may have some solid advice for you on your road to a healthy tech balance.

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Ok, I hear you saying…

GenX?!?! Who? Well look up “slacker generation” and one of the first sites to appear on Google is GenX. Yes, millenials, we were once ripped on by society too 🙂 So you can trust me! Let’s start DISRUPTING!

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Technology Running Amok

I want to start with helping you gain a better understanding of what happens when you let technology run amok, unsupervised, rampant and with no babysitter. You need to take charge of  this trusted tech BFF and not allow it to secretly control so many aspects of your life. I hear from many of my students that the mere existence of social media makes it “way harder” for them than past generations. Yes, it is true, any new technology poses problems until us incredible humans learn to adapt to it. I am not going to let you off the hook that easily because you are the boss, not the tech! Human are adaptable.

I think learning how to use tech in a healthy way will require some background in brain science to convince you that this difficult learning, and behavioural shift, is important if you want to make technology a friend in your life and not a bully.

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Want to Know More Smartphone Brain Science?

Check out this video to gain a better understanding of what your

little innocent phone is doing to you.

5 Crazy Ways Social Media Is Changing Your Brain Right Now

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PsychNerdy Time!

With a Smart Twist 😉

I love psych science! It helps me understand this big ol’ world and learn ways that I can live very happily in it. I want to help you do the same.

I have already established my love for my tech toys and I definitely have no plans to live without them. My only option has been mindful tech integration in my life. Being strategic about how I consume and utilize these wonderful digital advances in a way that maintains the healthy brain that I have worked so hard to nurture.

I am going to sneak in a wee bit more psych-nerdy science to help you understand why disrupting your current smart phone relationship, and doing things differently, is actually an urgent matter.

There is a pretty incredible longitudinal study, The Monitoring the Future survey, which has asked students in grade 12 more than 1,000 questions every year since 1975 (and students in grade 8 and 10 since 1991).

This survey asks teens how happy they are and how much of their spare time is spent on various activities. Here are some highlights:

• Teens who spend more time than average on screen activities are more likely to be unhappy, and those who spend more time than average on non screen activities are more likely to be happy. All screen activities are linked to less happiness, and all non-screen activities are linked to more happiness.
• 10+ Hours of Screen Time: Teens who spend 10 or more hours a week on social media are 56 % more likely to say they’re unhappy than those who devote less time to social media.
• 6-9 Hours of Screen Time: Teens those who spend six to nine hours a week on social media are still 47% more likely to say they are unhappy than those who use social media even less.

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More Screen Time = More Sad

More Non-Screen Time = More Happy

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Want to Be Happier?

GO BE AROUND YOUR FRIENDS!

For the love of your beautiful neural network, PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE, live your life for a while and stand near a human.

#BrainLove   #PositiveComputing   #Digital Dieting

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3 Part Brain Love Series

In the next two blog posts I want to help you develop tools that prepare you to manage your wellbeing. No, you don’t have to break up with your phone, but you do need to take charge, be the boss and stop being subtly bullied by your phone.

Here are some of the highlights of the next two posts:

• Addiction to devices and social media.
• Looking for the “Like Button”.
• Distraction and instant gratification
• The distortion of reality and the effect on your self-esteem. 
• Strategies for healthy smartphone relationships.

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Join me and start DISRUPTING this tech invasion and

truly make your smart phone your BFF 🙂

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Tell me about your journey!

#YouGotThis #LiveFully #MentalWellness

Dr. Heather Drummond,  C.Psych.

Psychologist * Passionate Advocate for Flourishing * A Human Muddling Through

#EmbraceThisMessyLife

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