DESIGN
How does technology make us lost in digital noise?
Reimagine design mindset to shape a mindful digital future
Have you ever noticed how often you check your phone in a day? The answer might surprise you. Now, imagine this scenario: you settle down with a good book, ready to immerse yourself in its pages, but the constant notifications and digital distractions pull you away. Does this sound familiar? You’re not alone. I recently found that people echoed the same sentiment. Their love for reading books had waned and focusing on tasks seemed like a feat. Strangely enough, I found myself nodding along to their tales of distraction, realizing that even my own ability to concentrate was slipping away. It seems like our attention spans were taking a hit in the age of relentless technology.
It cannot be denied, that humans are using technology to solve problems, enhance their lives, and boost productivity. Innovations will continue to emerge in the future to help people lead even better lives. However, there is growing discussion and research regarding the impact of digital technologies on individuals’ well-being, stress levels, job performance, social interactions, attention span, connectivity preferences, and overall happiness.
There is always hope for the future of the digital life. Experts say it will continue to expand people’s boundaries and opportunities in the coming decade and that the world to come will produce more help than harm in people’s lives. Yet, as in every great technological revolution, digital life will always persist in having its dark side.
The harmful impacts
While it’s true that technology has presented challenges to our traditional sense of community, it has also enabled global connections and facilitated communication across borders. I chose my career believing that technology would improve our lives. Seeing what has happened, I might question it. Throughout our history, humans have lived in communities like bands, tribes, and extended families for millions of years. We naturally found joy and a sense of worth through regular, face-to-face interactions in these close groups. However, as our activities increasingly shift to the online realm, these tight connections are dwindling, and genuine relationships are being replaced by mere transactions.
When was the last time that we had an entire day completely free from digital distractions? No text messages, no email notifications, no social media, and no aimless internet browsing? It might be hard to recall the last time you had even an hour without technology. These days, most of our lives are connected to computers and smartphones, which serve as constant sources of distraction. Sometimes, to have a profound focus on anything for any significant length of time may seem like a feat.
So, what’s causing the attentional shift? The answer lies in the design principles that underpin our favorite apps, websites, and devices. We are caught in a crossfire between the relentless pings of notifications, the infinite scroll of social media feeds, and the constant bombardment of information. Think about it — when was the last time you read a lengthy article without succumbing to the temptation of checking your phone or clicking on a hyperlink that led you down a rabbit hole of distraction? It’s not just a personal struggle; it’s a collective challenge shaping the way we consume content.
Additionally, the infinite scroll feature on social media platforms deserves its own spot on the attention-span challenge list. Whether it’s Instagram, Twitter, or the ubiquitous TikTok, the endless stream of content encourages mindless scrolling, making it increasingly difficult for our brains to engage in sustained and meaningful activities. We can call it The Invisible Addiction.
People’s cognitive capabilities will be challenged in multiple ways, including their capacity for analytical thinking, memory, focus, creativity, reflection, and mental resilience. The Pew Research Center found that human cognitive abilities have experienced a decline that is detrimental to human performance due to digital deficits. Some respondents added that they had less focus, too much multitasking, and no real connection. Attention spans have certainly been decreasing recently because people are inundated with information today. These are found most commonly among those who live a highly digital life; the one being attributed to near-constant connectivity online.
Many years ago, a Nobel laureate economist Herbert A. Simon pointed out that “Information consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” Today, we know that many organizations are at war to get out our attention; distracting us with smartphone notifications, addictive games, click-bait content, hoaxes, and fake news. These are two problems in this kind of interaction. First, the feeling stressed all the time due to a constant stream of interruptions combined with fear of missing out. The second one is more important, engagement with this kind of content means that we are spending less time building and maintaining relationships with actual people. I think today’s platforms are unintentionally designed to isolate us rather than help us build strong and genuine relationships with others.
How designers ruined the world
The world works this way by design. Everything that has been built has been created by humans who are designers. Design has incredible potential for positive change, it also carries the power to recklessly harm society. Mike Monteiro’s thought-provoking book, “Ruined by Design,” serves as a stark reminder of the responsibility designers hold in shaping the world around us. In his book, Monteiro explores how design decisions, often made without careful consideration, can contribute to ethical, social, and environmental issues.
One crucial concept Monteiro discusses is the idea of “dark patterns.” These are design choices that intentionally manipulate users, leading them to make decisions that may not be in their best interest. The existence of dark patterns raises ethical concerns about the impact of design on user behavior and decision-making.
Highlighting the ethical concerns of design decisions, Monteiro reveals a startling example: In 2014 Facebook ran an experiment on over 600,000 users by filling their newsfeeds with overwhelmingly negative news to see if it affected those users’ mental health. Facebook ran a human mental health experiment on its own users without their consent. Obviously, anyone with mental health issues had no opportunity to opt-out. Neither did anyone else.
We’re no longer pushing pixels around a screen. Instead, we’re constructing complex systems that touch people’s lives, destroy their relationships, broadcast both supportive and hateful messages, and undeniably mess with their mental health.
“The world isn’t broken. It’s working exactly as it was designed to work. And we’re the ones who designed it. Which means we fucked up.”
― Mike Monteiro, Ruined by Design
The intervention to fix it
We are designers. We solve problems, we don’t just push pixels. We are the gatekeepers. We are responsible for the effects of our work once it makes it out into the world. Anything that passes through that gate carries our seal of approval. We have a skill set that people need to get things made, and that skill set includes an inquiring mind and a strong spine.
It is not just about how we can shape visuals but also user behaviors. Unfortunately, some design practices, like the notorious “dark patterns,” can manipulate users into actions they didn’t intend. These deceptive design tactics not only erode trust but also contribute to the digital noise that further shortens attention spans. The ethical dilemma here, urging designers to be mindful of the impact their choices can have on users’ attention and well-being.
As Monteiro said in his book, there are two words every designer needs to feel comfortable saying: “no” and “why.” These words are the foundation of what we do. They’re the foundation of our ethical framework. If we cannot ask “why,” we lose the ability to judge whether the work we’re doing is ethical. If we cannot say “no,” we lose the ability to stand and fight. We lose the ability to help shape the thing we’re responsible for.
Education and awareness should also find a place within our designs. Integrating informative elements, such as pop-up reminders, short tutorials, or infographics, can raise awareness about healthy technology habits. Users have to understand the impact of prolonged screen time, and providing tips for maintaining a balanced digital lifestyle can contribute to a more informed and mindful user base.
Addressing these challenges involves a shift in design mindset. We should care much more about the impact of our design decisions than just our pixel position. To truly influence what we’re designing, and to have a say in how things are truly designed, also to mention who we affect, we need to expand our understanding of what design means. Being the expert by doing our research to admit what we don’t know. As designers, we are storytellers who need to persuade people about what we’re capable of affecting; from tiny little pixels to people’s minds.
To design is to influence.
In the fast-paced world of technology, as we reflect on the impact on our digital life, it becomes clear that designers play a pivotal role in shaping a digital landscape that either enhances or harms our well-being. From battling the ping of notifications to navigating the pitfalls of dark patterns, our digital experiences profoundly impact our level of connectivity and general happiness.
As we wrap up this exploration, the lesson is clear: designers have the power to make a positive difference. By adopting mindful design principles, empowering users with customization options, and embracing ethical practices, we can contribute to a digital world that respects, rather than exploits, users’ attention and overall well-being.
In the end, as designers, our mission is to shape a digital world that enhances rather than detracts from our lives. Create a harmonious and symbiotic connection between users and technology — one that prioritizes human connection and well-being in the digital age.
So, how many times did you find yourself distracted while reading this?
References:
- The Future of Well-Being in a Tech-Saturated World
- The invisible addiction: Cell-phone activities and addiction among male and female college students
- Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks
- Ruined by Design: How Designers Destroyed the World, and What We Can Do to Fix It
