Is technology really ruining your life? | David Ellis | TEDxLancasterU

Summary

This talk explores the impact of technology on our lives, addressing concerns that it might be ruining them. The speaker, a psychologist, discusses historical anxieties about new technologies like the telephone and microwaves, and compares them to today's worries about smartphones and social media. They critique simplistic correlations between screen time and mental health, emphasizing the need for nuanced research. The speaker advocates for curiosity and critical thinking, warning against a negative view that could stifle innovation.

Takeaways

• 🤔 Technology's disruptive nature can cause psychological discomfort due to the constant changes it brings to our lives.
• 📱 The prevalence of smartphones and social media raises questions about their impact on our well-being and social interactions.
• 📊 Historically, new technologies like the telephone and microwave oven faced skepticism and concerns about health and social implications.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The current concern is the effect of screen time and social media on mental health, with the UK government conducting inquiries into these effects.
• 🧐 Correlation does not imply causation; increased social media use could be a result of mood rather than a cause.
• 📊 Surveys and questionnaires might not accurately reflect actual technology usage, as they rely on self-reported data which can be unreliable.
• 🔍 To better understand technology's impact, researchers are measuring behavior directly rather than relying solely on self-reports.
• 🏃‍♂️ One of the potential threats of screen time is the displacement of physical activity, which is a significant issue in the developed world.
• 📚 Technology, including social media, has both positive and negative aspects, and it's important to consider the balance.
• 🔬 Long-term studies tracking screen time across multiple devices and correlating it with outcomes like academic performance are needed for a more comprehensive understanding.
• 🌟 It's crucial to remain curious and critical about technology's role in our lives, avoiding extreme views that can stifle innovation.

Q & A

What is the main concern regarding technology's impact on our lives today?

The main concern today is about the use of social media and smartphones, and the amount of time spent on these devices. There is a significant debate on whether screen time and social media usage are negatively affecting people's lives, especially the younger generation.

How does the speaker address the historical perspective on technology's impact?

The speaker discusses the historical perspective by mentioning how new technologies like the telephone and microwave oven were met with skepticism and fear, similar to how people today have concerns about smartphones and social media.

What was the public's initial reaction to the telephone in the 1800s?

The public's initial reaction to the telephone was one of confusion and skepticism. Many people questioned the necessity of the telephone, and there were concerns about its potential to cause mental illness or deafness.

What is the speaker's stance on the claim that video games cause violence?

The speaker argues against the claim that video games cause violence, citing that the majority of scientists believe they do not. They also mention that violent crime rates have decreased since the introduction of video games.

Why does the speaker say correlation does not equal causation in the context of social media use and mood?

The speaker explains that correlation does not equal causation because a person might feel depressed and then use social media, or they might use social media and feel depressed after seeing others' seemingly perfect lives. The direction of the relationship is not clear from correlation alone.

What method does the speaker suggest to better understand the effects of screen time?

The speaker suggests measuring behavior directly rather than relying solely on self-reported surveys and questionnaires. They mention that their lab has started to track actual usage of smartphones and technology to get a more accurate understanding of its impact.

What is the UK government's current approach to understanding the effects of screen time on young people?

The UK government is conducting a public inquiry to investigate the effects of screen time and social media on young people, indicating that this is a significant and recognized issue.

How does the speaker differentiate between actual technology usage and self-reported usage?

The speaker differentiates between actual technology usage and self-reported usage by pointing out that people often underestimate how frequently they check their smartphones. They mention studies where participants were tracked and found to check their phones much more often than they initially reported.

What potential long-term outcomes does the speaker suggest should be studied in relation to screen time?

The speaker suggests studying the potential long-term outcomes of screen time, such as its impact on academic performance. They propose looking at whether a student's smartphone and social media use can predict their grades at the end of the academic year.

What is the speaker's advice on how to approach discussions about technology's impact on our lives?

The speaker advises remaining curious and thinking critically about technology's impact. They encourage questioning the sensationalist claims often made in the media and considering the full range of evidence before concluding whether technology is 'ruining' our lives.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 The Impact of Technology on Our Lives

The speaker begins by questioning whether technology is negatively impacting our lives, a concern that spans personal and societal levels. As a psychologist, the speaker is deeply invested in understanding this issue. Technology's disruptive nature can cause discomfort due to the rapid changes it brings. Despite this, people often feel compelled to adopt new technologies to avoid being left behind. Historically, similar concerns were raised about the telephone in the 1800s, with people fearing it could cause mental illness or deafness. The speaker humorously notes that such fears persist today with technologies like microwave ovens and social media. The UK government's inquiry into the effects of screen time and social media on youth underscores the contemporary relevance of these concerns. The speaker critiques simplistic correlations between social media use and mood, emphasizing the need for more nuanced research that considers context and causation.

05:01

📱 Understanding Smartphone Usage and Its Effects

The speaker discusses the challenges in accurately measuring technology usage, particularly with smartphones, and the discrepancies between self-reported data and actual behavior. They note that while people do regulate their smartphone use, there is a mismatch between survey results and actual usage patterns. The speaker suggests that the real issue with screen time might be the opportunity cost of time spent on devices rather than the technology itself. They compare modern concerns about smartphones to historical concerns about activities like reading books or working, which also consumed time. The speaker concludes by advocating for curiosity and critical thinking when evaluating technology's role in our lives, warning against a negative narrative that could stifle innovation. They emphasize the importance of understanding both the positive and negative aspects of technology and the need for long-term studies to truly assess its impact.

Keywords

💡Technology

Technology refers to the tools, systems, and methods used in the creation and processing of goods and services. In the video, technology is central to the discussion as it explores whether it is negatively impacting lives. The script mentions smartphones and social media as examples of pervasive technologies that are often questioned for their influence on human behavior and well-being.

💡Disruptive

Disruptive describes something that causes significant change or has a sudden impact, often leading to discomfort or challenges to the status quo. The video discusses how technology is disruptive, altering daily routines and societal norms, which can lead to psychological unease as people struggle to adapt to new ways of doing things.

💡Psychological

Psychological pertains to the study of the human mind and its functions, particularly affecting behavior and emotions. The script delves into the psychological effects of technology, questioning whether it causes discomfort due to the rapid pace of change and the need for humans to feel stable and secure in their environment.

💡Smartphones

Smartphones are mobile phones with advanced features that allow users to access the internet, use apps, and perform various tasks beyond traditional calling and texting. The video uses smartphones as a focal point to discuss the potential negative impacts of technology, such as the addictive nature of these devices and their role in social media consumption.

💡Social Media

Social media refers to online platforms that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The video discusses social media as a significant part of technology that may be linked to issues like mood changes, anxiety, and the perception of others' lives, affecting individuals' self-esteem and mental health.

💡Correlation

Correlation in the context of the video refers to a statistical relationship between two variables, such as time spent on social media and mood. The script cautions that correlation does not imply causation, meaning that just because two things occur together does not mean one causes the other, which is a critical point when evaluating the impact of technology on behavior.

💡Causation

Causation is the relationship between cause and effect. The video emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between correlation and causation when assessing the impact of technology. It argues that simply because someone uses social media a lot does not mean it is the cause of their mood or behavior.

💡Screen Time

Screen time refers to the amount of time spent looking at a screen, typically associated with digital devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers. The video discusses concerns about screen time, particularly its potential to displace physical activity and other beneficial activities, as well as its psychological effects.

💡Addiction

Addiction, in the context of the video, refers to a compulsive engagement with an activity, often despite its negative consequences. The script challenges the notion that technology, specifically social media, is as addictive as substances like cocaine, suggesting that while technology use can be excessive, it is not uniformly addictive.

💡Innovation

Innovation denotes the introduction of new ideas, devices, or methods. The video concludes by encouraging a balanced view of technology, highlighting the importance of innovation and its potential to transform lives for the better. It warns against a negative perception of technology that could stifle future advancements.

Highlights

Technology is disruptive and can make us feel uncomfortable due to the constant changes it brings.

The necessity of using technology is often forced upon individuals to avoid being left out.

Historically, new technologies like the telephone and microwave oven faced skepticism and fear.

The World Health Organization found no evidence linking microwave ovens to cancer after reviewing 30,000 studies.

Video games are often wrongly accused of causing violence, despite crime rates dropping after their introduction.

The current concern is the impact of social media and smartphones on daily life.

The UK government is conducting an inquiry into the effects of screen time and social media on young people.

Correlation between social media use and mood does not imply causation.

People often overestimate or underestimate their smartphone usage.

Behavioral studies show that technology usage is consistent but does not necessarily align with self-reported surveys.

The biggest threat of screen time might be the displacement of time that could be spent on other activities.

Technology, including smartphones, allows for social interaction, which humans are naturally drawn to.

It's important to remain curious and think critically about technology's impact on our lives.

The comparison of social media addiction to drug addiction is an exaggeration not supported by current scientific evidence.

Innovations in technology have transformed our lives for the better and will continue to do so.

Transcripts

[Applause]

so is technology ruining your life it's

quite a blunt question another way of

phrasing that question might be is

technology having a negative impact on

you or your friends or your family

there's a perfectly reasonable question

to ask both there's a as much for myself

as I'm a psychologist and I spend a

disproportionate amount of time thinking

about it but also just day-to-day why do

we ask ourselves that question well

technology is disruptive it changes the

way we do things it changes how other

people do things and psychologically

that can make us feel quite

uncomfortable because everything's

changing around us and we like to know

where we are and at the same time if you

think about the technologies that you've

all got in your pocket like your

smartphone's of your tablets your use of

social media you know how much choice do

you have if you don't use these

technologies you get carried away you

know other people use them and then

you're left out so you're kind of

dragged along regardless so what effect

is this having well actually this is not

a new question historically this has

always been asked and you know if you

think about from a historical

perspective let's go back to the 1800s

and the telephone the telephone was

invented the first thing people said

bearing in mind most people at that time

had never seen any kind of gadget like

this they said why on earth would I need

this which is exactly what my dad said

about the Internet why why would we need

this it was viewed as a toy as a gimmick

it was viewed that it might make people

mentally ill or caused them to go deaf

Telegraph companies were concerned sort

of tried to spread rumors to put out of

business people were also worried about

the cause being tapped so some things

have never changed because we're still

worried about that with with Facebook

fast-forward a bit

the microwave oven many people still

believe microwave ovens can give you

cancer they can't give you cancer and in

fact the World Health Organization

looked at about 30,000 peer-reviewed

papers over the last 10 years and found

there's no evidence to say that you know

signals from your smartphone or electric

power lines or your microwave can give

you cancer but it but it's still there

it's that if you google microwaves

cancer tons of stuff

not suggesting you go out and do that

and and then if we fast we do games

video games cause violence that the vast

majority of scientists would argue that

video games do not cause violence in

fact if you look at violent crime

statistics based on when video games

first appeared violent crimes come down

so based on that crazy logic we should

actually get people to play more violent

video games that would stop again I'm

not suggesting that that's what we do to

combat violent crime so where are we

today what's the biggest concern about

technology ruining our life well today

it's very much about social media and

your smartphone and the amount of time

that you spend in those devices now it's

not just me that has that concern are

you the UK government is currently

conducting a rather expensive public

inquiry about this regarding the effects

of screen time and social media on young

people so it's it's a big big issue and

indeed there are studies out there that

have asked people as I could do now how

much time do you spend on Facebook and

then I could ask you about your mood and

then I could put those two numbers

together and I might find positive

relationships ie

the the happier you are the more you use

social media or the other way around so

the single jet with something going on

but as it was yet and it's a big bot how

have we got to that point

well remarkably the way we've got to

that point is simply as I've just done

there I've asked you about your social

media use and that's problematic it's

problematic first of all because

correlation does not equal causation so

for example I could feel depressed and

go in social media because I'm feeling

low or I could look at social media and

go look how wonderful all my friends

lives are and that makes me feel

depressed but don't know the direction

it also removes the whole context

there's a big difference between you

going on Facebook and having a

conversation with your friend and going

on Facebook and again looking at how

wonderful everyone else's life life is

it also ignores the fact that you might

not be very aware of what you're doing

and I know research for example we've

asked people how many times you think

you check your smartphone a day and

they'll say about 40 times a day and

then we put an application in their

phone that tells us they're not checking

the phone right

they're checking the phone about a

hundred times a day now that doesn't

mean it's a problem you might you might

use your phone a lot but it doesn't

necessarily equate to problem usage but

the point is it's very very difficult

for you to actually access that

information and memory I can ask you

about it but it doesn't mean you're

going to remember and that's what a lot

of current risk evidence is based on so

what do we do to answer this question if

we're going to go down and another route

how could we understand the effects of

screen time and what we've done in our

lab is we have started to just do that

we've started to measure behavior rather

than just ask you and one of the things

that we conclude from this is that yes

you do use your smartphones eventually

you do use technology eventually that's

that's that seems to be by and large

what happens you also regulate that

usage if you check your phone 80 times

today you'll probably check it 80 times

tomorrow you'll probably check it 80

times a week tomorrow that seems to be

consistent but one of the things we're

finding is that that behavior doesn't

necessarily match up to these kind of

surveys and questionnaires that a lot of

other researchers have asked so for

example questions such as I become

anxious when I'm not with my smartphone

is it does not necessarily map onto how

often you use your smartphone so this

might be measuring a very very different

thing now while we're trying to do that

the government inquiry is carrying on

and we've like many academics we have

given our evidence to suggest that there

is a lot more work to be done but many

many other people have pushed in and

said this is a problem they said this is

a big societal problem and I would argue

that if you want to see screen time is a

problem

the biggest threat it probably fate

poses at the moment is that it's time

that could be used somewhere else so you

may use your phone a lot and one of the

biggest threats we have in our current

developed world is a lack of physical

activity so you can try it if you want

but if you try to use your smart phone

when you're trapped a football is very

difficult so you have to separate those

things but just think about this for a

second and think about the historical

examples it's the same if you were

reading a book you couldn't play

football it's the same if you did other

activities people spend a lot of time

doing lots of things people spend too

much time working they can spend too

much time doing X

they can spend too much time shopping

smartphone usage or social media usage

is potentially another one of these

behaviors but the case doesn't mediate

that it's actually ruining your life

it's a big part of your life so in terms

of answering this question as I've kind

of hinted at it would require tracking

this kind of use of your role long term

so for example we intend in the future

to look at people's screen time usage

from lots of different devices and then

perhaps link that with other long-term

outcomes so for example does a student's

smartphone and social media use actually

predict their academic performance at

the end of the year what might the

answers from some of this research be

well like many get out clauses from a

scientist it will show good and bad

things there are many good things that

technology allows us to do and let's say

colleges for example we know that social

interaction is a positive thing now I

don't think that the majority of people

are addicted to their smartphone but one

thing we are addicted to is social

interaction and while it is very

difficult to predict what technologies

will become successful it's often ones

that involve some type of social

interaction which is why we use our

smartphones and social media to such a

degree yes they do openness to abuse the

open to trolling the open to billion but

so did the telephone so did the

telephone many years ago and we wouldn't

think twice I've realized that many

people in this room may never use a

landline telephone but they do still

exist but you know that they opened the

door to the same thing it's really

important that my message to you really

is to try and remain curious about all

of this stuff it's far easier to get a

press release picked up that uses words

like addiction and Technology and

problematic for news than it is to get a

press release picked up that says we use

our technology a lot and that's quite

interesting and trust me I've tried it

no one wants to cover that story because

it's not very interesting so my message

to you is remain curious think

critically and try and think about about

how is this I hope they come to this

answer how is it how is this really an

addictive behavior because some certain

people within public commentators have

argued that

social media addiction is as potentially

addictive as cocaine or drug use and I

mean that sounds in the face of it

unbelievably incorrect but that's often

what then filters down rather than the

science that's going on behind the

scenes the reason that it's really

important to get that balance right is

if we do become too negative and we do

believe that all this stuff is having

such a negative impact on our lives we

run the risk of stifling the very

innovations that we can all think about

off the top of our heads that have

transformed our lives for the better and

will continue to do so thank you

[Applause]