Why our screens make us less happy | Adam Alter
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- Опубліковано 29 чер 2024
- What are our screens and devices doing to us? Psychologist Adam Alter has spent the last five years studying how much time screens steal from us and how they're getting away with it. He shares why all those hours you spend staring at your smartphone, tablet or computer might be making you miserable -- and what you can do about it.
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I like the fact that he doesn't discredit screens, but shares how screens are causing a lot of us to miss the experience of living in the moment.
Good thing I'm watching this on my toaster.
I know right. I'm glad I can watch this on my sandwich toaster.
I am listening in my mobile😌
Ahh😁good one mate....
@@goonerinSP haha Finally found a reason James Veitch was wanting _FREE TOASTER_
The funny thing is, this statement is going to be true and normal after the next 50 years when toasters get screens. XD
Me:*literally dying*
Mom: it’s because of that phone
My mom: its because of your gaming😂
its true ...your mom say true bro ....listen to her ..leave smartphones
Don't let your screen rob your personal time! Do it at work instead!
Great talk, but he forgot to mention three important effects:
1) they hurt our attention span. For many every minute of silence is pain. They forgot how to relax, self-reflect and do something creative.
2) if you can google it in 30s, you probably won't remember it. It ruins our learning, since we tend to look things up rather than try to reconstruct them out of our memories, or solving them ourselves
3) kids need to go out, discover the world, fight their boredom with play, and discover their own limitations (can I climb this, can I jump down?). Playing only PC-games takes a lot of the development away.
3) *cough* Except mental development *cough*
[citation needed]
What do you want a citation for? 1) are 2) are my personal observations, but I've seen others writing about it too, unfortunately I can't remember where, but I'm pretty confident that it was in German. Another source was in English and in the context of why it is so hard to start meditation for us Westeners (a UA-cam video, maybe even TED).
3) is about a plethora of related topics. If kids are bored, they'll try to fill the void. They start imagine stories, build toys of their own, or go out to explore their neighbourhood. This teaches creativity and observation skills, but also there's a physical component to it: especially climbing helps coordination, stamina, strength, to some degree also confidence. Moreover, going outside is more than getting some sunshine and fresh air; it trains the immune system. Last, but not least, it helps kids looking for friends.
I'm pretty sure all Edi said is backed up by ted talks, there's a lot of them about this. So if you need citation, just look for it yourself, it's rather easy
all comes back to the ones who raised us
I've used my phone for 30 minutes a day for the last 3 months and life becomes so much more meaningful to me
Noice
Dude i respect you!
I wonder just how many miles ive scrolled with my thumb 🤔
Justin St.Louis lol ! Same 😂
17.9
Jim James
How do you know lol
Lol never thought about that!
@@lefthanded5473 theres a app for that
I'm so glad o see a TED talk that does'nt include 10 minutes of gibberish talk in the beginning. Well done.
hahahaha you know it
I spend way more than 27 minutes a day out UA-cam...
chase c
Much of the time I spend on UA-cam is watching educational videos. You know, John/Hank Green stuff. Or TED talks that are actually worth my time. Or I help others by answeting their questions in the comments.
Peter Knutsen yeah I definitely understand YT has a very positive impact as well as taking up too much of my time. I feel like the short videos and endless content is perfect for people who get bored easily. I'd say a good portion of what I watch is educational or at very least makes me think. rather than mindless tv or something.
chase c
I like the short format, 5-12 minute bites of education. I'm honestly very reluctant to commit to longer edu videos, unless they're from lindybeige. Otherwise, if I'm going to watch something long, I need to trust the production values, the editing, the content-to-time ratio. E.g. something comparable to a TV documentary. And I need to trust the factual value too.
😂
Itsyaboicody me too
I noticed my mental health has a direct correlation to the amount of screen time I do in a day. If I’m at 6 hours, I’ll be terribly anxiety ridden. If I’m at 2, I’ll be iffy but manageable. If I don’t use it, I feel entirely calm.
Exactly same for me
Same dude
Summed up
I'm literally amazed by his speech and the way he explains his ideas. He hits the nail on the head!
Every time I quit my social media usage I feel the same. He's right. I perceive how I've wasted my time on useless news, posts, comments before quitting. My life becomes more precious, productive, invaluable and I wonder how much time actually I have in a day :) Time is not flying when we stop using social networks, guys :)
TV Smart phonse Are Cheatng Public..We Are Paying Only For ADS
Why high school and college make us less happy.
Clarence Parker III lol😂😂
😂😂😂😂
I've been thinking about this for a long time. As a Msc graduating student I spend 90% of my time studying and the other 10% on UA-cam on my phone and it's gradually making me miserable but I'm not able to stop so long as my phone's there. It's addicting. Right now I'm too busy to take action but when my life situation gets more stable I want to cut my bonds to social media and UA-cam.
How’s life going for you right now? I plan the same thing, it’s just that I’m still needing internet to gather information and complete tasks. Also, I’m in a toxic environment so it’s sort of a safe haven for the time being.
The funny thing is that this isn't one of the most stimulating or amazing TED talks I've seen, but Adam's book 'Irresistible' is far more in-depth and interesting than anything I've seen on TED... proving Adam's point that it's better to immerse yourself in a real experience than greedily treat yourself to instant hits of gratification via the internet.
thanks for this, I am gonna read it.
I’m literally in a zoom meeting with this guy rn. Talking about his book
You didn't get what he's talking about
Very insightful! It isn't necessarily the screens that are bad, but the way people use them and the amount of time people spend on them. It's all about balance.
I've deleted all the social networks a few weeks ago, i have only 2 that i use for my work. (i don't read news there/can't see any posts, only for messaging with my colleagues and employers). I have to use the screens a lot for my work. So I think having a me-time without any screens is a wonderful idea! It's 100% true that we spend time using the apps that make us unhappy.
One of the things I often tell to my therapy clients who spend a lot of time in front of screens to decrease that time. I love technology every bit as the next person does, yet it doesn't come without its costs and people seldom stop to think about how technology can be influencing how they are feeling.
I think a good rule is to for people to bring back the idea that it is sometimes okay to be disconnected from the online social media world. When you go out with your friends, how about having a no-cellphone rule? If someone calls you, tell them you will call them back later unless it is a complete emergency. If someone texts you, you do not always have to answer it immediately.
These days people are all over the place with technology and social media, so is it any wonder people also report they feel a sense of shallowness and emptiness in their life. The best way to identify an addiction is to ask yourself if you control the consumption, or if the consumption controls you.
I discovered Adam Alter a few days ago, I was listening some interview while exercising. Usually, I put something just for half an hour while exercising and then I stop. But his interview was amazing!!! I almost exercised more than half an hour, haha, I kept listening even after I was done. And the interview was like an hour and 40 min long. The amazing thing is that he's not telling common sense out of common sense point, he's actually telling common sense, but having scientific research behind it. And also, he is amazing talker. I saw he has couple of books, and I am going to buy them. I actually don't remember when the last time I bumped into someone so interesting and inspiring in a way over UA-cam.
Good thing I'm watching this on my stove
🤣🤣🤣
ohmygosh!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Oven at least has a timer
Got rid of social media, my phone, and home wifi and I feel so much happier and present, much less anxious. Next I want get ri of all screens and see how that makes me feel :)
chief , I get what you're saying. I used to play a lot of computer game and as a result I got very depressed. But after I cut back I feelt better less depressed and I have more energy. Tech is not bad but don't let it control your life.
chief you be completely crazy to get rid of all screens.
That's a very reductionist approach. Now you are throwing away all the good aspects of social media, phone and home WiFi as well. Everything in moderation, I say.
Does it really work?
Sooo
I wish my parents wouldn't let my six year old brother be on their phones at such a young age. However, my parents are hard working people and most of the time when they get home they are really tired and the only way to entertain the kid is to let him use the phone or the tv. I'm also busy most of the time. I try to tell them that they should find apps that are actually of some intellectual value for the kid. Any thoughts?
Fernando Torres plenty of aps but you have to read to kids play with them Interaction is crucial then they want to learn . Find cool aps etc . But the human nuturing primary importance.
Fernando Torres most apps help decision making, basic math and English and science skills, etc. Even basic clicker apps help math/logic
I would Have a discussion with my parents so they fully understand the problem and instead of your bro using an iPad iPhone whatever, get your parents or you to buy him a football, board game, or anything product that would help keep a kids mind active and healthy. I don't know if this will be any help to you but it's unfortunately all I've got. Anyway good luck on helping your brother
Be a good brother and son and you find a way to entertain them w/o screens
this was my case as a kid, my parents were always busy. But despite that I don't think I was ever really bored.
in terms of activities i learned to enjoy a lot of DIY type activities done (e.g origami, crafting). my parents didnt buy us much toys, and i never asked because i just learned to make my own. My favourite game was playing "house," we (my sister and i) had to construct everything with paper or things we found in the house (cotton balls, origami stars, etc). we played other roleplaying games based on movies and tv shows we watched (lotr). also loved roller blading, and played tag a lot. Theres lots of physical activities a kid could enjoy out there. All they need is a little guidance to find their own paths. Note also that i think technology is amazing, and it can be good and bad depending on how you use it. I also played lots of video and pc games growing up. Oldschool runescape, maple story, gta, neopets, and msn haha. You can't blame a kid for being in tune with their generation.. its more about moderation anyway.
TLDR: let the kid get creative. you can provide the means to do this with books and such; but don't put too much pressure on yourself to be their jester of sorts (as long as you provide emotional support it should be ok lmao). boredom is inevitable too, but we don't ever change if we already satisfied with something right? haha.
I like how nobody questions how much work takes from our personal time work hours should decrease as time goes on and robots do more work but instead we're being worked harder than ever for lower wages
Maybe because TED talks are limited. Plenty of people in the world are having meaningful discussions about this very issue (albeit probably not enough) right now. There are even TED talks dedicated to that topic. You just want to act all clever and sanctimonious about it.
Kin don't like it!
Yep, but you can do your personal activity and even in the job, why not? Maybe if you a mine worker or you have a bad and unhappy job you may not be so productive in live expending ) .. It's so up to you i think
All facts here
Talks like this are the reason why I subscribed to this channel.
Having talks and videos like these is a sign of having a huge problem. We are so detached from reality. Thanks TED for sharing. I sure will plan a change in my life.
I watched this ted talk on a screen... this makes me less happy.
And all this while we're watching youtube infront of a screen and reading and writing comments below this video. The irony....
Hostile Hero not really. The talk is about overuse not about the technology itself
Jahrazz Jahrazz his opinion is that it makes people unhappy, yours isn't, getting pissed won't help lol he won't read your comments. Make a joke or something lmao no one cares if you get mad
Jahrazz Jahrazz actually, I think your screen is making you unhappy because you are swearing on the internet, and presumably, getting mad at this ted talk.
Yes, exactly. His TED talk, that "tries" to tell you how to be happy. Well, it fucking failed miserably.
Indeed. Aloha
A while back I came across a book that came out in '78 called "Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television." The author suggested a lot of the things discussed here would become issues. There was more, too. But here Adam Alter gives us research and updates on new tech. It is amazing how things change and yet stay the same.
*TED! You've motivated me to start UA-cam and I'm only at 2,997 but I'm loving making videos a ton. Thank you!!*
This was the motivation I needed to turn UA-cam autoplay off
to not watching this? haha
This video should have been longer. Amusing ourselves to death and 1984 is happening on a massive scale in this generation and it's very sad to see how far off we've falling away from actual socialising in the real world.
I found this talk very relatable. When I use productivity apps like planning or exercise apps, I can stop using them once I've completed my tasks. Achieving my goal acts as a stopping cue. However, when I use UA-cam or Instagram, I end up using them endlessly without a clear purpose. I believe many people would share my feelings after watching this talk. This has inspired me to create apps that improve people's moods. While making productivity apps is good, I am particularly interested in introducing stopping cues for addictive apps like Instagram.
Someone I know is a teacher at the kindergarten. Once, she saw a kid trying to pinch zooming a drawing he'd just made. THAT makes you think.
This type of ted talk is one I'd never forget.
Indeed, I don’t think swiping through our phones is going to make us different nor strengthen our individuality. It only makes us the same, the same in a way that we no longer think about the world outside our phones, therefore losing the ability to think and evaluate things independently, while lacking in personality and speciality.
I've got tears in my eyes...
I found that listening instead of watching helps keep the attention span neutral. Kinda like reading a book. You have to pay attention more because it’s easier to understand a person when you watch their movements but listening actually increases your focus and brain activity. I guess something to do with putting all the effort into hearing instead of using sight and hearing.
I have deleted instagram, twitter,snapchat .. i use my facebook from the browser so i get bored easily to log out and not stay so long scrowling through the comments
Also not having messanger makes it harder for me to get to messages, so i spend a very short time on facebook.
Only kept whatsapp so i keep in touch with few friends
But i have filled up my phone with usefull apps, such as meditation apps, apps for learning languages, and reading online .
And i invit everyone now, to leave all the distractions aside, and start working on yourself now before it's too late
We are slowly running out of time and at the end of the journey, nothing will stand by you other than your knowledge and what your hand tried hard to get.
Not saying that you shouldn't be spending much time with people, but limit your relationships and don't let people distract you from learning
Start working on yourself and build up a solid mind that is hard to get broken!
Don't be average xx
Wonderful talk .. thanks for sharing .!!
damn, this is some good advice.
I really like the insight on the stopping cues
Man I felt so good after watching this, Thanks a lot TED.
Watching this for a school project, great guy
I agree with him. He is telling the truth. Because many people connect to phone , they don't live. Depended peoples are icreas day after day. This is a big problem because we can't talk anymore. Everybody always uses phones. We sohuld take prevention because this is our life. We must make our lives meaningful.
social media is all around us, but its up to us to control our usage and take the time to really experience the world out there.
Yea
Imagine how UNHAPPY we would be WITHOUT the internet
The internet is the only thing that makes me happy these days
There is nothing to do and nowhere to go but the internet today
I dont know what country you live in but you point is wrong, try to Think the world as a cool var graphics and you Can go around
Very useful talk. Tysm , God bless.🙏❤
i think its safe to say that now personal space is taking over survival and work + commute time for many,, damn even the time to sleep..
Came here from Cal newports mention of Adam and his books in Digital minimalish. Imprassive, thanks for this learning. :)
We're all addicts.
This is a great piece!
*using 3 screens while watching*
Mitchell Hawke yep same here
That's honesty gross
best TED talk I've seen in a while
very motivating speech!
Amazed me...!! Just loved the idea..
Honestly,Thanks for the video.
Excellent talk
Great TEDTalk; profound.
wtf? my phone has always been of no importance when i'm together with other real people. i love going barefoot already and given a road like in your picture at 8:46 had a parking spot instead of that guardrail, i'd stop, take a picture, inhale the view as long as i feel like ... was that all this promising title was leading up to? that's what you get for being on the screen. proves the point.
Great talk! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Great talk on screen time. Social media is partly to blame, don't forget about Netflix too though. Theres no real stops on that either...
This hit home
I got this book form the library & so far it is so good this is why most of the time I don't be on my phone going on social media form time to time, also checking emails, or surf the internet. I put the phone down.
The thing Daimler does is amazing! This was the first time I heard it, but you need to be brave as a company to actually do this, and I am sure it helps!
Thank you!
That was incredible and inspiring for me
The photo at 7.36 shows how effectively the screen media have addicted most of us.
Thank you ♡
Loved this
Absolutely he is right. I agree with him.
They are ingrained in every aspect of our lives. Even in the work day when we are actively engaged in our living, we still have access to our phones, ipads. The only thing to do is exactly what this speaker brings to our attention. We should limit ourselves.
SHUT UP
nice work Adam!!!!!!!!
great speech!
Grate speach, it made me pause and reach for a book.
Thank you very much. It was usefull.
Love this guy!
This is a good one to listen
We live in a world of sensory overload but social distance. Lonely/bored/curious people are bound to connect using the most easily available medium.
Watching it on my iPad. Finding it in the middle of endless facebook feed scrolling.
Beautiful
this is best video i have even seen on social media
I like what you say and I agree with it. Sadly the one suggestion you chose has nailed the nail in my wound... yes your experience of dinner will be more colourful without your phone around if you have people with you. But what if are alone?... it reminds you that there is no one to speak to! I will try though, try and be present, enjoy my food more, listen to music, meditate. Someone will come, one day...
To be fair, it's a bit controversial. It's up to everyone how to use their phones and iPads. As for me, a Russian guy, I spend a huge amount of my spare time using my phone, but up to now:
1. I've learnt 2 foreign languages with the help of it
2. I read a lot on my screen to be high educated
3. I watch lots of videos on UA-cam on my target languages, using the phone.
4. I've got to know so much through the phone.
In a nutshell, I use "the screen " to gain my knowledge, that's all. So in short , it all comes down to the way u use ur "screen" in, does it help u or destroy you as an individual? It's an open question for every screen user.
Noice
Very nice, he does also make this point right? He talked about there being positive ways to use our screens but based on the statistics he had (from some studies I assume) it would appear that most people don't use them for productive things.
The vacation e-mail... Wow, perfect.
youtube recommend another video like this and i realize there is no stopping cue.
Amazing.... super awesome!
Thank you Mr Alter, for helping me get a better perspective of life that i miss from using my screen a lot. Thank you
This excludes TV consumption. How does this compare to that consumption?
Good talk
Wow that was so beautiful☺
If you want to learn more about this, this guy (Adam Alter) wrote a book about this subject as well. It's called "Irresistible" and i highly recommend it, he goes into a lot more depth about how smartphones and apps are designed to be addictive
It is ironic that I am watching this on my smart phone.
Thank you, I found this talk interesting and informative. I feel a bit more fulfilled because it met my need to be better informed, and perhaps as time goes on, to take some small steps to make my own life better.
This person is on vacation so we have deleted your email! You got me there.
This TED talk came out a couple of weeks after I read his book xD
btw it's really interesting and entertaining so I highly recommend you read it
Are screens reprogramming the mind? Are they healthy? Good questions to ask.
The real problem with his diagram at 3:50 is that the "Personal time" slot is tiny, not that it's occupied by screens. Work less, live more.
Beunibster yes work work work. Find what you love and do that or be a slave essentially
And "News" is what makes you unhappy, huh? Not the fact that the news media is corrupt, that the government is corrupt, that all the biggest companies are corrupt, that all the biggest banks are corrupt and not the fact that they are lying about it IN the news? Ok. I'll switch to a "relaxation app" instead and put on all smiles.
The screen-obsession is a RESULT OF, not a CAUSE OF unhappiness.
Beunibster yes plus the smart people are searching for the truth online. Stuff the news on tv won't tell us. I just put a video up in my most recent upload that actually shows fox business showing how a company is beginning to microchip employees. Probably cause their own trying to condition society to what's coming in the future. Stuffs messed up
I LOVE YOU PROFESSOR ALTER!!!!!
I was a kid in the 80s, and yes also in front of a screen most of my time, why? a (TV ) screen was a window into the world... I've learned so much - including 2 languages- thanks to a screen ...nowadays this window has just become bigger! the real issue is to know when, how long and how to 'use' this window
Love this😀
A talk so relevant to our generation!
This is for a very specific audience that is not me. But I have to write about this for homework and I feel like I'm watching the most boomer comic in film form right now. My life is rich when I'm talking to my best friend who lives miles and miles away everyday. My life is rich when I play minecraft with my friends. I'm happy when I watch youtube videos that intrigue me. Just because I spend a bit more on the internet than some, doesn't mean I'm not just as happy.
lmao fr this man such a boomer