Film 260 flipbook 2

1. The Age of
Distraction Film 260
Alessia Bertucci

2. We live in an age of distractions.
Do you remember something the last time you gave your undivided
attention to someone or something without any distractions?

3. • No one person gets
personal attention for long.
• Multi-communicating has
instilled distraction into
every aspect of our day,
becoming commonplace
for many individuals. (4)

4. • Society glorifies busyness,
but being “always on” will
cause unchecked infomania
decreased brain power. (3)
• We have become “pancake
people” spread wide and thin
as we connect with a vast
network of info accessed by
the touch of a button. (5)

5. But, “In doing
more you are
getting less
done”
(1)

6. • Individuals today have a short
attention span stemming from
online constant stimulation. (2)
• We are becoming less efficient
than ever as we are pulling
ourselves into too many
different directions. (6)

7. Humans have
finite neural
resources that
are depleted
every time we
switch between
tasks. (1)

8. Distractions of 2-3 seconds
were enough to double the
number of errors participants
make in a task. (1)

9. These distractions also
affect classroom
behaviour. (9)
Students check
a digital device
10.5 times per
class on
average. (9)

10. Studies found that people who are
interrupted by technology score 20
percent lower on a standard
cognition test. (10)

11. • Checking devices has
become a sub-conscious
instinct that cannot be
ignored
• Students reported that even
without the constant
reminders provided by
notification lights and
sounds, they were internally
preoccupied with whether
anyone was trying to get in
touch with them. (7)

12. So, what is the first step to
solving this distraction
epidemic?
Mono -
tasking(1)

13. What is mono-
tasking?
Mono-tasking is a
form of self-
awareness
similar to what a
high school
teacher might
simply call
“paying
attention”. (1)

14. When you focus all energy on one task at
a time distraction free, it makes what you
are doing more enjoyable and leads to
higher quality results! (1)

15. When we single-task
rather than
multitask, we produce
less cortisol, which
means we are less
stressed. Essentially,
making us happier. (6)

16. Three additional steps
Stop multitasking the things that
are important
Create specific times during the
day to work on important tasks.
Create boundaries around
technology use
(8)

17. Create boundaries around
technology use
Keep cell phones
away from the dining
room table, or in your
bag while in
restaurants. Stop
texting, emailing and
talking on the phone
while driving. (8)

18. Stop multitasking the things that are
important
This includes personal
relationships. Focus
on one person at a
time and allow yourself
to give them your full
and undivided
attention. (8)

19. Create specific times during the day to work on
important tasks
Remove all
unnecessary
distractions including
cellphones and tablets
and retrain yourself to
focus on one thing at a
time. This will slowly
become easier with
practice. (8)

20. Thank You!

21. Works
Cited
1. Von Pfetten, Verena. "Read This Story Without Distraction (Can You?)." The New York Times. The New York
Times, 30 Apr. 2016. Web. 12 May 2016.
2. Rosenwald, Michael S. "Serious reading takes a hit from online scanning and skimming, researchers say."
Washington Post 6 Apr. 2014. Academic OneFile. Web. 15 May 2016.
3. Anderssen, Eric. "Digital Overload: How We Are Seduced by Distraction." The Globe and Mail. N.p., 29 Mar.
2014. Web. 12 May 2016.
4. Eichler, Leah. “Sorry to be rude, but my smartphone needs my attention.” The Globe and Mail. The Globe
and Mail, 04, Oct. 2013. Web. 01 June 2016.
5. Module 1: Digital Literacies (lecture)
6. Cleaver, Krystal. "The Importance of Simplifying Due to Unprecedented Amounts of Distraction." The
Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 01 June 2016.
7. Soltan, Liz. "Distraction Caused by Technology." Digital Responsibility. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 June 2016.
8. Goldman, Ellen G. "Surviving the Distraction Epidemic." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d.
Web. 01 June 2016.
9. Joselaw, Maxine. Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 25 June 2015. Web. 01 June 2016.
10. Sullivan, Bob. "Students Can't Resist Distraction for Two Minutes ... and Neither Can You - NBC News." NBC
News. N.p., 18 May 2013. Web. 01 June 2016.
11. *All photos were taken from www.pexels.com. All photos on Pexels are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero
(CC0) license