Note:Thisarticle is actuallyexcerpts from two differentarticles.

WhybeingathinkermeanspocketingyoursmartphoneSource:ToddLeopold,CNN.com10.23.13

There'sastoryaboutamanwhospenthishoursdaydreaming.HemayhavebeenatFord;hemayhavebeenatIBM.Hewassimplyamanwhospenthistimeinhisoffice,feetuponthedesk,lookingateverythingandnothing.

Oneday,anefficiencyexpertcameby.Theefficiencyexperthadbeenhiredtocutcostsandimproveoperations.Hesawthemandaydreaming,andhethoughtcertainlythiswassomedeadwoodtocastonthepile.

Theefficiencyexpertwenttotheboss--HenryFordorThomasWatsonorsomeothertoweringmagnateofearly20th-centurycorporateAmerica--andofferedhisrecommendations.Amongthem:Firethedaydreamingman.

Thebossrefused.

"But,sir,"theefficiencyexpertreplied,"everytimeIwalkbyhisofficehe'sstaringintospace.AsfarasIcantell,hedoesnowork."

"Thatman,"thebossreplied,"oncehadanideathatsavedthiscompanymillionsofdollars,andhewassittinginjustthatpositionwhenhehadthatidea."

Thestory,ofcourse,isprobablyapocryphal,buttheideabehinditisascurrentasthelatestiPhoneapp.

Whichis:Ifyouwanttogetanycreativethinkingdone,shutoffthedamnedsmartphoneanddetach,reflectandrecharge.

"Youcan'tmakeheadwaywithoutthinkingaboutaproblemforalongtime,incollaborationwithsmartresearchersfromdifferentfields,aswellasreadingalot,"saysepidemiologistCarolineBuckee,oneofCNN's10Thinkersfor2013."Butsometimesthathardworkreachesfruitionorcomestogetheratarandomtimeonceyouhaveletthoughtssettledown."

Weknowthis--assurelyasthat20th-centurymagnateknewit--andyetweregularlyignoretheadvice.WesurftheWeb;wescannewsonourphones;wekeepourmindsdigitallyoccupiedinamillionways.Whenwehaveafewminutesofdowntimenow,wepulloutourmobiledevicesinsteadofdaydreaming.

It'snowonderNicholasCarrraisedsomuchinterestwithhis2010book"TheShallows,"whichwasanexpansionofhisAtlanticMonthlycoverstory,"IsGoogleMakingUsStupid?"Carr'spointisthatwearen'tthinking,we'rebrowsing.

Itishard,someobserversadmit,tomaketimeforthinking.JohnSeelyBrown,theformerheadofXerox'sPaloAltoResearchCenterlab,worriesaboutthegenerationswhohaveknownlittlebutthecyberworld.

"Ithinkkidstodayareafraidofbeingbored,"hetoldCNNforaseriesoncreativity."Andthat(whenyou'rebored)iswhenyouimaginesomething."

Whenitcomestointuition--whichundergirdsthinking--moodmakesadifference,too.

Inhisbook,"Thinking,FastandSlow,"NobelPrize-winningeconomistDanielKahnemanmentionsanexperimentinwhichsubjectswereshownthreewordsandweregiventwosecondstoguessiftheywerelinked.

"Puttingtheparticipantsinagoodmood...morethandoubledaccuracy,"Kahnemanwrites.

Unhappysubjects,ontheotherhand,madeguessesthatwerenobetterthanrandom.

Thisisnottodismisseverythingelseweusetofillourbrains.TheInternetisatoolforthinking.

Soaremeetings,mysterynovels,videogamesandquizshows,forthatmatter.Andsometimesthinkinghastobedoneonthefly.Impendingdeadlines,toparaphraseSamuelJohnson'slineabouttheprospectsofbeinghanged,canfocusthemindwonderfully.

Butperhapsthebesttoolistimealone,feetuponthedesk,staringattheceiling.

MotorolaexecutiveandCNNThinkerReginaDuganmayhaveputitbest.

"Ifindthatthequietesttimesofmylife,"shesays,"speaktheloudest."

Havesmartphoneskilledboredom(andisthatgood)?

Source:DougGross,CNN.com9.26.13

TakealookaroundtodayatpeopleinlineatStarbucks,onthetrainplatformorwaitingfortheirbagsattheairport.Oddsare,ahugechunkofthemarestaringdownintoaglowingmobiledevice--

passingtimebycheckingonfriends,catchingupontextsore-mailorplayingavideogamethatwouldhaverequiredaPCorhomeconsolejustafewyearsago.

"That'sme,"saidJeromieWilliams,a36-year-oldsocialmediamanagerandbloggerfromMontreal."IfI'monthebus.IfI'mwaitinginlinesomewhere...TheotherdayIwasatarestaurantwithafriend.Hegotuptwotimes--oncetosmokeacigaretteandoncetogotothebathroom.Assoonashisasswasofftheseat,'Boom!'iPhoneinhand."

Thankstotechnology,there'sbeenarecentseachangeinhowpeopletodaykilltime.Thosedog-earedmagazinesinyourdoctor'sofficearegoingunread.Yourfellowcustomersinlineatthedelicounterarebeingignored.Andsimplygazingaroundatone'ssurroundings?Forgetaboutit.Betweensmartphones,tabletsande-readers,we'rebecomingasocietythat'sreadytokillevenafewsecondsofboredomwithataponatouchscreen.SmartphoneownershipintheUnitedStates,andelsewhere,hitatippingpointin 2012.MorepeoplenowownasmartphoneintheUnitedStates--45%ofadults--thanownatraditionalcellphone,accordingtoasurveyfromthePewInternetAmericanLifeproject.

And42%ofallmobilephoneuserssaytheyexpresslyusetheirphoneforentertainmentwhenthey'rebored.(Presumably,non-entertainmentusesliketextingande-mailwouldjackthatnumberupevenhigher).

"Idoeverythingwithmyphone,"saidAlexandraReed,39,aself-employedsinglemomfromCharlotte,NorthCarolina."Ihavefivee-mailaccountsfordifferentthings.Ihavetwophones,oneforbusinessandonepersonal.Iuseapps--Mapquest,Google,Twitter,Facebook,Instagram,Pinterest,LinkedIn,GooglePlus,CNN,ESPN...."

Isitaboredomkiller?Absolutely,shesaid."EvenwhenI'mdriving,ImighthaveFacebookopen,"shesaid."AtaredlightthefirstthingI(dois)justlookatmyphone.IgetalittleanxiousifIseeanotificationanddon'treadit."

Researcherssaythisallmakessense.Fiddlingwithourphones,theysay,addressesabasichumanneedtocureboredombyanymeansnecessary.

ChristopherLynn,ananthropologyprofessorattheUniversityofAlabama,comparestappingatsmartphonestosmokingacigarette.Bothcanbe"pivots,"hesays--thingsthatquicklytransferusfromthemonotonyofeverydaylifeintoaworldof"unscheduledplay."

"Smartphonesarelikecigarettesarelikejunkfoodarelikechewingyournailsordoodling...,"LynnwroteinaMayessayfortheEvolutionaryStudiesConsortium."Doesthenakedspaceofyourownmindandtheworldaroundyousendyouscreamingintooblivionwhenyouwalkacrosscampus,acrossastreeteven?Pulloutyoursmartphoneandcheckyouremailagain--thatcarwillswervearoundyou."

Withtheirgames,music,videos,socialmediaandtexting,smartphones"superstimulate"adesirehumanshavetoplaywhenthingsgetdull,LynntoldCNNinaninterview.Andhebelievesthatmodernsocietymaybemakingthatdesireevenstronger."Whenyou'rehabituatedtoconstantstimulation,whenyoulackit,yousortofdon'tknowwhattodowithyourself...,"hesaid."Whenwearen'tusedtohavingdowntime,itresultsinanxiety.'Ohmygod,Ishouldbedoingsomething.'Andwereachforthesmartphone.It'souromnipresentrelieffromthat."

So,ourphonesarebrutallyefficientataddressinganancientdesire.Butisthatalwaysagoodthing?AtOxford,England'sSocialIssuesResearchCentre,researchersfearitisnot.Intheirview,byfillingalmosteverysecondofdowntimebypeeringatourphoneswearemissingoutonthecreativeandpotentiallyrewardingwayswe'vedealtwithboredomindayspast.

"Informationaloverloadfromallquartersmeansthattherecanoftenbeverylittletimeforpersonalthought,reflection,orevenjust'zoningout,'"researcherstherewrote."Withamobile(phone)thatisconstantlyswitchedonandaplethoraofentertainmentsavailabletodistractthenakedeye,itisunderstandablethatsomepeoplefinditdifficulttoactuallygetboredinthatparticularfidgety,introspectivekindofway."

Williams,theMontrealblogger,admitsasmuch."OnethingthatunfortunatelyIdomissoutonisthatsortofquiettimewhereIcanthinkaboutsomethingIwanttowrite...where,ifI'mbored,I'mflippingopenWordandpunchingsomethingout,"hesaid."Instead,outcomes'InfinityBladeII'andI'mkillingtitans.Beforesmartphonescameout,youhadthatdowntimewhereyousitonthebusandyourmindjustkindofwandersandyouthinkoftheseamazingthings.Yougetoutthatoldthingcalledpenandpaperandyoujotitdown."

PossibleResponseQuestions:

  • Areyouafraidofbeingbored?Reflect.
  • “Ifindthequietesttimesofmylifespeaktheloudest.”Comment/reflectonthisquotation.
  • Commentonthecomparisonmadebetweencellphonesandcigarettes.
  • Choseapassageandreflect.