Monday, August 13, 2018

In perpetual misery.

In today's hi-tech world, with the state-of-the-art gadgets available with almost every man and woman, life appears to have become much easier. If technology is used in the right manner, life gets to be smoother without doubt but the related miseries are also worth understanding. Touching upon just a couple.....

 (a) The Smartphones.

       Our digital lives and excessive dependence on smartphones may be making us more distracted,
       distant and drained, a study has found. For example, even minor phone use during a meal with
       friends was enough to make the diners feel distracted and reduced their enjoyment of the
       experience.......had more trouble staying present in the moment.

       Decades of research on happiness by the researchers of the University of British Columbia in
       in Canada have said that engaging positively with others is critical for our well being. Modern
       technology may be wonderful but it can easily sidetrack us and take away from the special
       moments we have with friends and family in person.

       Researchers conducted two studies - a field experiment in a restaurant and a survey. The
       restaurant experiment included more than 300 adults and university students in Vancouver,
       British Columbia. The survey portion included more than 120 participants. The results were
       interesting.

              (i) The negative effects of phone use among students who are commonly known as digital
                   natives.
             (ii) Compassionate people spend less time on social media than people who are more self
                   centred and narcissistic.
            (iii) People with lower emotional intelligence used social media more than those in touch
                   with their feelings.

  (b) Succumbing to Fake News.

        Belief systems that people develop early in life to help protect against the anxiety and stress
        of an uncertain world may help explain why some individuals fall victim to "fake news" as per
        the behavioural scientists. The key to people accepting fake news as true, despite evidence to
        the contrary, is a phenomenon known as confirmation bias or the tendency for people to seek
        and accept information that confirms their existing beliefs.

        The brain is wired to accept, reject, misremember or distort information based on whether it is
        viewed as accepting of or threatening to existing beliefs. Some of these beliefs can be based in
        fantasy and that can lead to 'nonsensical thinking' say researchers.

        In adolescence, people develop critical thinking skills and some begin to question what they
        were taught as children. As people reach adulthood, many of these beliefs formed as children
        are simply accepted and continue to influence how a person perceives his or her world according
        to Mark and Eve Whitmore, developmental psychologists with the Western Reserve
        Psychological Associates in the US.


Tailpiece.

Lekha had completed the recital of the Ramayana this evening with three days to spare and she's happy. The rains continue and only hope that it would be over by the beginning of the onam month of Chingam, that commences on the 17th. 

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