Our team at Silta Education is a big fan of Anders Hansen’s books. The newest one The Attention fix (2023) is no exception. Hansen’s books are easy to read, full of interesting research findings, and offer a lot of food for thought. Veera, our CEO, gives a short but comprehensive review of the book below.
In The Attention Fix, Dr Anders Hansen, a Swedish psychiatrist and expert on brain health, talks about the impact of social media on our brain and mental well-being. Behind social media’s success, is our innate desire to talk about ourselves and compare ourselves to others.
Acquiring information about others is key for survival
Why do we keep on opening our favorite social media apps?
We know that social media makes us addicted with constant feel-good dopamine hits and attention-drawing stimuli that our poor hunter-gatherer brains can’t resist. By offering us an endless flow of quick rewards (just like candy), we keep on checking and browsing.
Interestingly, Hansen explains how talking about personal experiences activates the brain’s reward center, similar to the effects of sex, food, and socializing. And what do we often do in social media? We talk about ourselves.
When using social media, we feel we increase our chances of cooperation with others. The feeling is motivating for us: we ultimately always aim to increase our chances of survival. In social media, we get a feeling we strengthen social ties and learn about others’ perceptions of us.
From an evolutionary perspective, strengthening social ties and knowing what others think of us has been essential: If we’re left alone, our chances of survival drop. Our natural tendency to acquire information about each other to survive has moved to social media platforms – with bitter consequences.
Social Media is linked to loneliness
Contradictory, excessive use of social media has been linked to feelings of loneliness in many studies. While social media may give the illusion of connectivity, studies show that spending more time online correlates with lower well-being compared to face-to-face interactions.
Social media makes us think we’re social but it’s no substitute for real social interaction.
Moreover, self-censoring becomes hard when we post on social media. We don’t get feedback from other’s facial expressions or body language. Studies have shown that we share more personal things on social media than in real life.
It’s natural to compare ourselves to others
The addictive nature of social media platforms exploits the brain’s love for the unknown and constant stimulation. This addiction can have profound effects on especially the mental health of adolescents who are prone to comparison and feelings of inadequacy.
Our world of comparison and competition is strengthened in social media, negatively affecting how we feel. According to studies, two out of three Twitter and Facebook users felt inadequate and 70% of teenagers felt a more negative body image due to Instagram.
Adolescents are most vulnerable: 1. Comparison is natural, 2. They spend a lot of time in social media. Especially girls who use social media excessively, feel low, isolated, and have lower self-esteem because of the constant comparison.
However, social media affects people in different ways. Neurotic, anxious, and insecure people are more negatively affected by social media. In contrast, if one has a strong real-life network and relationships, social media might add to it positively.
Screen time steals from sleep and exercise
Like Hansen’s other books (e.g. The Real Happy Pill, The Happiness Cure), “The Attention Fix” highlights the importance of physical activity in maintaining cognitive function and mental well-being.
While our hunter-gatherer ancestors gained 17 000 steps per day, modern lifestyles characterized by excessive screen time and sedentary behavior with less than 6000 steps per day have led to declines in both physical and mental health.
According to research, phone usage and screen time among kids and adolescents also affect their memory, concentration and language skills. Those who had less screen time performed better in tests.
Excessive phone usage is linked to sleeping and exercising less which have a significant impact on our cognitive functions. Sleep problems are on the rise also among youth: 50% of 11-18 year-olds said they check their phone every night.
According to a study that investigated children and adolescents in Sweden,
- One out of four babies are entertained with the internet
- 50% of 2 year-olds is shown internet every day
- 98% of 11 year-olds have their own mobile phone
- Teenagers spend 7 hours per day in front of a screen (9 hours per day in the US)
Too much screen time, too little exercise, and too few hours of sleep go hand in hand – among adults too.
A wake-up call
“The Attention Fix” serves as a wake-up call, urging readers to reevaluate their relationship with technology and prioritize real-life social connections and physical activity for a healthier life. It underscores the detrimental effects of excessive screen time on brain health, focus and learning.
For example, many studies have shown that heavy mobile phone users are more impulsive and find it more difficult to postpone a reward. If we can’t postpone a reward, we’re not able to learn complex things. Learning and problem-solving don’t happen through quick dopamine hits – they need effort, focus and persistence.
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