Screen Time Versus People Time

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What It's About: We can’t really embrace the principle of being People First if we spend most of our time facing a screen without people on the other end. And all the so called “Free Technology,” including but not limited to Google, Meta, YouTube, Instagram , TikTok, Twitter etc., care primarily about one thing: Maximizing our individual screen time for profit. Why? These companies make more money, literally by increasing each second of screen time we give to their platform. Getting a lot of service for “free” involves allowing ourselves to be incentivized, some would say manipulated, to increase screen time. This might be less onerous if it wasn’t for the fact that negative information creates more screen time. Algorithms know if they feed us more negative stuff, we stay online longer, and hence more profits. A study by the Pew Research Center found that if you fill your Facebook posts with “indignant disagreement,” you’ll double your likes and shares. So an algorithm that prioritizes keeping you glued to the screen will— (perhaps unintentionally?) inevitably—prioritize outraging and angering you. As the saying goes: If it’s more enraging, it’s more engaging. [Editor’s note: Also, if it bleeds, it leads.]

Johann Hari is the author of an outstanding book called Stolen Focus. He and James Williams, a former Google strategist, addressed an audience of hundreds of leading tech designers and asked them a simple question: “How many of you want to live in the world you are designing?” There was silence in the room. People looked around them. Nobody put up their hand.

So What?: We need to give consideration to the impact of ever increasing screen time on team members, many of whom consistently describe themselves as exhausted. It is unreasonable to have back to back “zoom meetings” coupled with the negative influence of social media, and expect people to feel energized and positive. The good news about Zoom meetings is that we are usually visibly connected with others. The tedious part, is the amount of energy to stay present and engaged while online. It doesn’t help that when we drift into social media, where we are intentionally pulled into negative rabbit holes.

Now What?: It is clear that each of us needs structured digital sabbaths and/or sabbaticals. We can get so screen controlled that every notification ping has us dropping everything, including (sometimes literally) our loved ones. The amount of “just wait a second and let me finish this,” response we spew to people, who ideally are most important to us, is worrisome. There must be time for each of us being completely off the screen. Additionally we understand that our technology friends are dedicated to NOT letting that happen. What will you do? Why? When?

Think Big, Start Small, Act Now,

- Lorne

One Millennial View: I think the only way to remedy this is a culture shift. Perhaps if we decide that it’s negative/gross to fear monger, and gratuitously argue for clicks/views, then begin supporting companies that refuse to advertise when platforms try to profit from that, it will force advertisers to only invest in organizations that intentionally limit this. It will never not be about the money, however if we start championing quick, consumable truth, positivity versus nihilism, and viewers believe constant negativity is desperate or not cool, then finances can be diverted to a healthier place. Content can be shorter, more factual, less invasive, less scary, we can be informed (still see an ad), and then put our screens down to view the world around us with our own eyes, not some camera footage. P.S., thanks for reading this on your screen, now put it down.

- Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis

Screen Time Versus People Time

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