This doesn’t really come as news to me. I have always found a walk on the beach or on a mountain trail with a long view to be a very good “idea producing” event. In fact, on an ongoing basis, I find my best ideas come to me in the morning shower or on my hour long drive to work when my mind is still fresh and when I’m not even close to my computer.
There is no question what’s best for our own fulfillment and for society’s success - our creativity. And it appears that in order to serve that creativity we have to be less online. Almost certainly, downtime lets the brain go over experiences it’s had, solidify them and turn them into permanent long-term memories. While downtime for the brain may be a good recipe, it will be hard to sell in this age of increasing digital addiction. Almost a century ago Americans found it better for their people and society when alcohol was forbidden. It was not a successful experiment and I’m not proposing that a “digital prohibition” would be a great solution. But apart from the needs of our brains, I’m wondering where we are going when we would more and more replace the digital experience with a real one. When I wanted to play with a friend when I was young, I went to her home, knocked on the door and hoped she was there.
Now we simply check out statuses on Facebook, rarely even make a call, let alone go on an unexpected visit that may lead to unexpected real-life experiences.
There is a strange loneliness when the ongoing communication is more often with someone who is not next to you.
Digital communication is NOT the real thing. People send emails when they find it hard to make a call or even face the person they have a message for. I'm guilty of it. have seen so many email trails leading nowhere other than to confusion and alienation between people, that I very much sympathize with the CEO who said recently in an interview that he never reads an email that he is copied on. When you really need someone, call her or him, or better yet, make a visit.
