Lost in Electronica

The title of this blog is from an article written by clinical psychologist Adam J.Cox, and a write-up about it appeared in the Newsweek magazine. See: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/14/will-boredom-and-the-costs-of-constant-connection.html

I believe Cox has correctly identified a problem that has emerged in today's ever-increasing influence of electronic mobile devices on our lives. It has affected boys more than girls, resulting in a loss of social communication skills. This leads to ill-adjusted youngsters, who later become ill-adjusted adults that are unable to communicate with the outside world. I have summarized the key points below.

The cause: "The ubiquitous barrage of battery-powered stimuli delivered by phones, computers, and games makes “the chaos of constant connection” an addictive electronic narcotic." (in bold are words emphasized by me)

The symptom: "Fifty years ago, the onset of boredom might have followed a two-hour stretch of nothing to do. In contrast, boys today can feel bored after thirty seconds with nothing specific to do. ........Perhaps flight from boredom prompts people today to take refuge in constant stimulation by visual and audio entertainments."

The result: "Not only does withdrawal into electronica enable them to bypass the confusion and pain of trying to give their emotions some coherence, it also helps them avoid the realities of being a flawed, vulnerable, ordinary human being...... So “the silent, sullen boy at the mall’s game store may be next in line for an underemployed, lonely adulthood if we don’t teach him how to maintain effective social contacts with others.” "

If you look around you, chances are you will find some people who fit into the above description.