My phone spends the night charging and wakes up at 100%. At 6:00 a.m. my Alexa alarm blares. “Alexa, stop. Turn on bedroom lights.” As my eyes adjust, I check my Garmin watch to see a sleep score of 82. It is a decent night of rest on screen, yet my mind feels foggy and my motivation sits at 4% before my feet touch the floor. Ten minutes vanish into the glowing notification abyss of my iPhone before I can even wash my face. I’m already on low battery without leaving my bed.
We often talk about having a low social battery after spending hours navigating a crowded room. Today that exact same fatigue is waiting for us the moment we open our eyes, and it is directly tied to our technology use.
God-Like Tech and Paleolithic Brains
Technology and social media is extremely profitable and it continues to develop faster than our ability to regulate or understand its long-term effects. This rapid growth creates a dangerous mismatch. To understand this real problem of humanity, we can look to a famous observation by sociobiologist Dr. E.O. Wilson:
Our ancient brains were never designed for the endless flood of notifications, likes and algorithmic feeds. Technology exploits our biological vulnerabilities just to keep us scrolling. Tech companies are mining us for our most precious resource: attention. Choosing where we place our attention is the most basic tool we have for bettering ourselves. Right now there is an emerging consensus that this is something we simply cannot afford to lose.
The Toll on Our Health
According to data compiled by the Center for Humane Technology in their Ledger of Harms, this constant grab for our attention takes a massive toll on both our physical and mental health.
Here is how constant screen time is draining us:
- Brain Alterations: Peer-reviewed research shows that heavy social media use correlates with a reduction in gray matter in the brain, creating structural changes that mirror substance addiction.
- Heightened Anxiety: Constant notifications trick our brain’s alert system into treating trivial updates as urgent emergencies, leaving us in a state of perpetual stress.
- Cognitive Fatigue: Studies show that heavy daily social media use links directly to weaker memory function, reduced attention spans and increased impulsivity the following day.
Think long and hard about the statement above. What could we do if you had a whole extra month of time every year?
Recharging to Face Global Challenges
Technology will be an integral part of addressing many of the world’s greatest challenges. These are challenges with scope and complexity that can only be addressed with both technical ingenuity and ethical commitment. We cannot solve large global issues if we are too individually exhausted to think clearly. If we are to survive the threats in our world and thrive, we must understand the power of our actions and the direct and collateral effects of those actions on society.
The next time you charge your device to 100%, remember to protect your own energy too. Do not let a fully charged phone mean a completely empty you.
What does your personal battery look like in the morning? Think about the next time you wake up and check in with yourself to see how you can overcome low battery fatigue. I’d love to hear your story in the comments!
References:
Center for Humane Technology. “Ledger of Harms.” Humanetech.com, 2021, ledger.humanetech.com/.
Ohly, Sandra, and Lucy Bastin. “Effects of Task Interruptions Caused by Notifications from Communication Applications on Strain and Performance.” Journal of Occupational Health, vol. 65, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2023, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10244611/, https://doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12408. Accessed 22 Sept. 2023.
Watson, James. “James Watson and Edward O. Wilson: An Intellectual Entente | Harvard Magazine.” http://www.harvardmagazine.com, 10 Sept. 2009, http://www.harvardmagazine.com/2009/09/james-watson-edward-o-wilson-intellectual-entente.
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