Your Internet Habits Have Changed the Way You See the World

Do you remember what life was like before the Internet? Before the social media platforms? Before Google, e-mail, and living your life behind a screen?

Yes, some of us still remember. But as we are getting used to this Internet age, the digital world, and how we act in it, we have not noticed the way it has affected our real-world habits and behaviours.

For example, how many times were you interrupted by a notification on your phone up until this sentence?  Maybe someone wrote to you on a social media app, or maybe you decided to take a selfie? I for one can tell you that during the course of writing this piece, I have already answered two emails, checked a social media notification and opened up four new tabs. Normal behaviour in 2017, right?

Journalist Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows: How The Internet Is Changing Our Brains, says that the use of computers and the Internet has made us become constantly distracted.

Nicholas also says, "What psychologists and brain scientists tell us about interruptions, is that they have a serious effect on the way we think." What becomes harder with our Internet habits? According to Carr, the answer is all about how we can pay attention to something. It is becoming more difficult for us to think "about one thing for a long period of time and to think deeply." Does it feel like a lot is happening during your day? This may be why.

Scholars from the University College London also found that in a study of online reading habits, users were "power browsing"--they were not reading online in the traditional way, but quickly looking over a text for the main points and "bouncing" around to other websites. Carr explained the negative effect this habit can have. We make connections when we read without any distractions. These connections help us to understand what the writer wants to tell us and can also teach us about the human character. When we can’t make these connections it also effects the way we socialise with people in real life.

The more distracted you are, "the less able you are to experience empathy" explains Carr. As Internet-based distractions affect our ability to experience deep emotions, you should think about turning off your digital machine, before you become one yourself!