Take this 7-question quiz to find out
TC North //August 29, 2019//
Take this 7-question quiz to find out
TC North //August 29, 2019//
When you know you have unread emails, texts or social media messages, do they tend to scream “Read me! Read me!” — with increasing urgency — until you open them?
Why is the attraction of e-messages so powerful? They are a bit like the seductive lure of the sirens’ song in Greek mythology that lured sailors into destruction on the rocky shore of their island. Clicking that fresh e-message triggers a burst of the brain chemical dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of happiness and well-being. Put simply, opening an e-message is actually a quick hit of happiness.
Getting sucked into e-messages often distracts you from what’s most important to your success. Did you know that distractions can actually make you dumb? Here’s how:
So, just how much power do e-messages have over you? It might even be an addiction. According to the American Psychiatric Association, an addiction must meet at least three of the below seven criteria. Answer yes or no to the following:
How did you do? If you said yes to three or more, you may have an e-messaging addiction (not a formal DSM diagnosis). It might be time to take stock of your screen time habits. Becoming a successful entrepreneur, corporate leader, sales representative, professional or parent requires a healthy, almost obsessive focus on what’s important.
Do you need the e-messages dopamine hit of happiness, or are you OK without it?
Staying mindful that e-messages can be truly biologically seductive, turning them off when working on other things, and choosing when to engage with them will make you more productive and, likely, happier and more intelligent.
NOTE: Social media addiction, also known as problematic social media use or social media overuse, is a proposed diagnosis related to overuse of social media, similar to gaming disorder, internet addiction disorder and other forms of digital media overuse.