By Fabian Boie, M.S.
I was recently discussing with a friend about the impact of technology on our lives. I know this is a topic of great interest and we read about it all the time. We were actually talking about how technology may even change our ways of doing therapy, improve our assessments, communication with clients, scheduling and note-taking. The use of electronic devices simply permeates all levels of our day-to-day life.
I catch myself checking my e-mail several times a….minute and I realize how ridiculous that can be. It is almost as if I am waiting for a new message to pop in my inbox, probably the same way Pavlov’s dog waited for the bell to ring. It sounds extreme, but it is basic behavioral conditioning. Some people call it technology or phone addiction, others call it just bad habits, reinforced by the jolt of pleasure we get with every new e-mail, message, tweet or feed. It is our brain’s reaction to novelty, in other words, pure brain chemistry (I wrote about the book Meet Your Happy Chemicals in a previous blog). However, this does not mean we have no control over it just because everyone does it. These behaviors are also maintained by a specific set of (irrational) beliefs and demands. We compulsively check our e-mail because we must know who said what, because we cannot stand the idea of being the last one to find out who got engaged, share some gossip or simply learn about some useless trivia. What is even more interesting is our emotional reaction when things go south. In cases where something blocks us from performing this compulsive checking (e.g., the battery dies, we left the phone in the car, etc), we get so anxious, angry or worried! If you don’t believe me, just go chat with one of the representatives at a major phone store and they will tell you some stories about people coming in depressed or panicked about losing their phones and being unable to check their stuff since… the morning.
I am not suggesting we should throw out our gadgets and go back to using smoke signals. What I am encouraging is being more aware of our daily habits and attachments for the things we use often, such as phones and other similar devices. They make our lives easier, more entertaining and productive, but they also can foster rigid demands and beliefs that will make you more prone to experiencing distressing emotions. Moreover, if you want to take the challenge, one day, leave your phone at home and see how it feels. Let me know!