2020: Has It Really Been that Bad of a Year?

December 30 2020

2020

Many have highlighted some of the great things that happened in 2020 before this very bizarre year ends. We all know what went down since the first months, but let us look at some of the positive things that have happened this year.

I have chosen these major events that I think deserve to be celebrated and remember 2020 with.

Scotland Became the First Country to Provide Free Period Products

Period products are usually expensive and have higher taxes. Menstruation is a natural function in the human body and many women around the world, 66% of them in Lebanon, for example, do not have the financial resources that help them benefit from these products.

After a four-year campaign, Scotland became the first country in the world to provide menstrual period products free for everyone. This is a first and hopefully, many other countries will follow.

A photo of Scottish politician Monica Lennon and her supporters with a copy of the new law providing free period products to everyone in the country. scroll.in

China Banned the Production Of and Trade in Wildlife for Human Consumption

After the 2019 coronavirus outbreak, researchers and NGO’s in China surveyed the Chinese public on their opinions of the consumption and trade in wildlife. The overwhelming majority called for stricter policies in the trade and consumption of wild animals.

The findings prompted the legislative body of the capital Beijing to pass a new legislation in April 2020, that banned the illegal consumption and trafficiking of wildlife.

Water on the Sunlit Surface of the Moon!

For the first time ever, the NASA Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy confirmed the existence of water on the sunlit surface of the Moon. “This indicates that water may be distributed across the lunar surface, and not limited to cold, shadowed places.”

Scientists had discovered signs of the existence of water on the surface of the Moon since 2009, and in 2018 confirmed the existence of water-ice. This 2020 discovery could mean that astronauts will be able to use the water for drinking in future missions.

The Conversation Around Mental Health is Louder than Ever

There were several discussions and warnings in the early days of the lockdown on the mental health crisis the world would be facing due to the pandemic and enforced lockdown. Some companies have understood the necessity of taking into consideration their employees’ mental health and have opened the conversation about it and given days off when necessary.

The Earth Could finally Take a Break to Breathe

The lockdown and suspension of the activity of factories, cars and different engines has helped the Earth take a break as there were noticeable falls in carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide of as much as 40 %. This improved the quality of the air and reduced the risks of asthma, heart attacks and lung disease. Many experts say that this was a glimpse of what a world without fossil fuels might look like.

Nature took over several cities during the lockdown, like the clear waters that were seen in Venice in Italy.

Clear water in Venice’s famous canals after the Coronavirus outbreak caused a complete shutdown of the city’s traffic. GETTY IMAGES

2020 showed how sacrificing human health and nature for economic growth can have terrible consequences on the environment and our immunity to illnesses.

No More Wild Polio in Africa!

In 1996, nations in Africa started a vaccination program launched by Nelson Mandela after that about 75000 children were paralyzed by wild polio. The disease has no cure, but the vaccine offers lifelong immunization.

Following the immunization program, the World Health Organization confirmed on August 24^th, 2020 that Africa defeated the wild poliovirus which typically affects children under the age of five and can lead to paralysis and even death.

An opera company performed for an audience of plants

After months of lockdown, Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house reopened its doors and performed its first concert for an audience of houseplants.

Conceptual artist Eugenie Ampudia told the Associated press that he was inspired by nature during the pandemic. ‘I heard many birds singing,’ he said. ‘And the plants in my garden and outside growing faster. And, without a doubt, I thought that maybe I could now relate in a much intimate way with people and nature.’

The plants were donated to 2292 healthcare workers accompanied by a certificate from the artist.

Musicians rehearse at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, June 22, 2020. USA Today

Author: Meriem Saoud

Sources:

–A’ Public Health Triumph’: Africa declared free of wild polio, Gavin Haines, positive.news

–Good News Prevails: 100 Positive Things that Happened in 2020 (so far), Amy Haneline, USA Today

–The Bright Side of 2020, Vice Arabia

Mandala Art: The Symbol Of The Universe

December 29 2020

art, culture, philosophy, psychology, religion

Humans throughout history have used art as a bridge between their emotions and the outer world. It is the projection of their inner experience with all its complexities and magnificence. One of the popular art forms is the Mandala. Tourists who travel to India notice the beautiful geometrical designs on the walls and the ceilings of temples. Those images are “mandala” which literally translates to “circle” in Sanskrit.

In their most basic form, mandalas are circles contained within a square and arranged into sections that are all organized around a central point. They’re typically produced on paper or cloth, or drawn on surfaces.

Mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism and one of their most iconic artworks. Buddhists produced it in Tibet, India, Nepal, China, Japan, Bhutan, and Indonesia. It dates from the 4th century to the present. These mandalas are highly complex paintings with captivating details and rich colors. However, For Hindus and Buddhists, they are more than artistic designs. A mandala represents a symbol of an ideal universe.

What Is The Significance Of Mandala Designs?

In most cultures, the circle is a symbol of unity, wholeness, and oneness. It also symbolizes the womb, motherhood, and nurturing.

Mandalas are interpreted in two ways: external and internal. Externally it is a visual representation of the universe. The circular designs symbolize the completion and infinity of life. Then there is the dot or the center which is seen as the starting point from which everything begins. The dot is surrounded by different geometrical shapes and patterns symbolizing the connection of the different systems in the universe.

The mandala could also have an internal meaning. For instance, it could represent the spiritual journey of the individual and his inner life. In other words, Mandalas show the unity of the cosmos and how everyone fits in it as a connected system.

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the belief is that by moving towards its center, you are going through a transformative process that brings healing into your life.

Different Mandala Types

The Lotus: The lotus flower has a deep significance in Asian cultures. Buddhists view it as a symbol of detachment from the materialistic world and living a more spiritual life. Buddha said that the lotus is an example of how the dirt of the body can not burden the soul just like the lotus that floats on water.

The Elephant: It symbolizes great power and strength. First, there is the grey elephant, which is a sign of the mind that should not be distracted by the suffering, while the white elephant represents the state of true enlightenment that is achieved through mindful meditation.

The Flower Of Life: It features complex geometric designs. These designs trace back to Northern Africa and Mesopotamia. Modern users believe that it is a sacred geometric shape that promotes focus and concentration during meditation.

The Circle: They are the most common form of Mandala and the easiest to draw.

The Different Uses And Types of Mandala:

There are various types of mandala art in Asian cultures, here are some common types that serve different purposes:

1.Teaching Mandala: Teaching mandalas are symbolic, and each shape and color represents a different aspect of a philosophical or religious system. For instance, the student creates their own mandala projecting a visual symbolization of everything they have learned. Teaching mandala designs serve as mental maps for their creators.

2.Sand Mandala: Buddhist monks have long used sand mandalas as a traditional, religious element. These designs use a variety of symbols made from colored sand that represent the impermanence of human life.

The construction of this mandala begins with a ceremony in which the monks consecrate the site and call forth forces of goodness through chants and music. Then, over the course of ten days, the monks will pour colored sand. Shortly after its completion, the monks will disperse the sand to symbolize the impermanence of existence.

3.Healing Mandala: Healing mandala designs are made for the purpose of meditation. Evidently, they evoke calmness and enhance concentration to silence disturbing thoughts and anxiety. In modern days, mandalas have become a popular symbol of meditation used for appreciating the beauty of nature and forming a connection with oneself.

Mandala in Psychology:

The primary use of mandala art is as a form of meditation to gain knowledge from within. Moreover, Buddhists believe that meditating on mandala brings profound inner transformation. Whenever their minds wander with thoughts, they bring their focus back to the center. They believe that the beauty of this geometrical design should absorb their full attention. So this kind of meditation gives more relaxation and centeredness.

Carl Jung, a popular Swiss psychoanalyst, was the first to introduce mandala art to western scholars. He became fascinated by their therapeutic powers. For him, mandala designs represent the psychological self and lead to self-awareness and healing. Moreover, they exhibit the divinity of the self since the circle is a symbol of the wholeness of the psyche. For example, drawing complete designs of Mandalas unconsciously helps individuals with integration and individuation.

Nowadays, people color mandala designs to reduce stress. It also allows expressing the creative side. Drawing Mandala designs became a hobby among art lovers. To reach the full effects, they let their instincts guide them without analysis or following certain rules. The choice of colors and shapes flows naturally.

Mandala Art In Modern Life:

Modern consumerism has linked mandala art to the bohemian lifestyle. So we can find these designs in decoration, fashion, beauty, and other aspects. Elephant mandalas have become extremely popular in Western cultures.

In modern life, people use mandala designs in a variety of ways. In yoga, mandalas represent a sacred space to exclude external influences. Often, Monks and Yoga coaches draw mandalas during meditation. Similarly, Native Americans use it in healing circles, and this act has spread worldwide. The circles are useful for the restoration of the body, mind, and heart. Also, if you look at a Dreamcatcher, which is a popular item that has an Amerindian origin, it also has the shape and patterns of Mandalas.

Mandala Art In Other Cultures:

We can find similar geometrical designs in other cultures like Christian and Islamic architecture. even Native American culture includes similar designs under different names.

Today, they have become so popular worldwide. Consequently, artists are competing to break the records of the most complicated and mesmerizing Mandala designs.

Mandala art is a popular tool for meditation since their designs reduce negative thoughts and bring harmony, but not just for this reason. Ultimately, people create mandalas to center the body and mind.

Author: Hibat Errahmane Hadjadj

Red Herring: Mystery’s Secret

December 16 2020

A sense of achievement comes with unveiling a book’s twist before the author reveals it. Therefore, the temptation to solve riddles is what makes the suspense genre so popular. Often, there is a common factor in the success of mystery novels. It is a literary device called ‘red herring.’

This article contains spoilers for Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban; And Then There Was None by Agatha Christie; I Am Watching by Emma Kavanagh.

What’s a Red Herring?

Literally, it is a small fish, turned red and dry by smoke. As an idiom, it means something irrelevant intended as a distraction. It has many connotations, including political.

In literature, a red herring is a misleading clue that throws-off the readers. It sends them down a false path and fuels the suspense of the book. A pretty famous red herring is found in J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban. Everyone believes Sirius Black is the villain, but that turns out untrue.

An expert on this technique would be Agatha Christie. Many of her works include misleading hints that snowball into twisty revelations. In murder mysteries, authors drop red herrings to keep their readers guessing until the last page.

Intentional versus Coincidental:

There are two types of red herrings:

1- intentional:

An intentional red herring is a false clue that a character has created to mislead the rest. A famous novel by Agatha Christie includes an example of this type, actually.

“And Then There Were None” follows 10 strangers on an island, with a killer among them. Justice Wargrave eliminates himself from the list of potential-murderers by faking his own death. It turns out, he tricked everyone because he was the killer all along.

2- coincidental

A coincidental red herring is placing deliberate, false clues to mislead the audience.

Take Alex Michaelides’s The Silent Patient. The red herrings in this book are the characters. The unbalanced shift of points of view works as a distraction. And, the ambiguous characters sway suspicion until the revelation of the twist. In retrospect, that serves as the biggest indicator for it, actually.

A detailed example of a Red Herring:

This example is from the novel that struck me enough to write this article. Emma Kavanagh’s I Am Watching is a continuous development of red herrings.

The book revolves around a serial killer who strikes again after twenty years, despite supposedly being behind bars. And one of the points of view belongs to an original survivor. It is later revealed the wrong person was arrested, and the author begins leaving clues that hint toward the real killer. For instance, evidence tampering that points to the protagonist’s father. Suspense follows this character in mind for a while.

Meanwhile, the author gives devastating insight into that one survivor’s mind. Until sympathy forms with him. Consequently, this bond is a red herring.

In hindsight, it is obvious the real killer is the survivor. As you sympathize with his struggles, you never see the twist coming — feeling sorry for him distracts you from that conclusion.

Done correctly, red herrings provide a satisfying shock at the end. They make mysteries compelling. That is why people appreciate this genre.

Author: Nachoua NAIT ALI

Why is Social Reform so Difficult to Achieve?

December 14 2020

politics, Social Reform

It is the exception rather than the norm to find the people of any nation satisfied with the accomplishments of their elected officials. Some would assume that this is simply due to the duplicity and hypocrisy of politicians. But even the most sincere of politicians often fail to deliver on their promises. There are many reasons behind difficulty of enacting social reform. In this article, we will try to tackle two key barriers to social reform.

How the Status Quo Rejects Reform

The term “Tyranny of the Status Quo” was first defined by Noble prize winning economist Milton Friedman in a book as well as a television program both bearing that name. This is an issue where a complex web of interests creates an equilibrium that is extremely difficult to move from without intense opposition. For example, when a political party promises a tax on cigarettes it would face opposition from tobacco companies as well as their workers and consumers. If the party promises minimizing government spending it would face opposition from government bureaucrats fearing for their job as well as labor unions and government contractors. If it tries to reform education it will face opposition from ideological groups and teachers unions. And If it tries to lower taxes it would be opposed by government agencies and if it tries to raise them it would be opposed by businesses and citizens.

It would seem that reform that does not hurt any special interests is a herculean task. However, these special interests are powerful yet not immune to political power. Yet, the issue is not that sincere politicians can not oppose these interests. But the cost of opposing them will be much greater to the politician than the benefits. The benefits of the status quo, in this case, are concentrated and significant while the benefits of reform would be dispersed and insignificant for each individual. For example, removing unnecessary bureaucracy would allow for more programs to be enacted or lower the burden of taxes on the citizens. But it would cost people their jobs which is much more significant. A company losing its government subsidies is much more significant than funding newer programs.

There is also the case of significant interests of a group being opposed to benefit another group significantly. But in this case, The dissatisfaction of loss is always greater than the delight of gain. This is because such groups inevitably consider rightful or wrongful privileges to be their inalienable “rights.” They become entitled to these privileges. And this is why it is almost always in the interest of the politician to not disturb the status quo with any significant reform. Therefore, politicians will mostly stick to symbolic accomplishments and new government programs out of the taxpayer’s pocket as they do not disturb the web of interest the system is built upon.

The Sunk Cost Fallacy

Milton Friedman had been quoted saying: “Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program”. This quote sparks a question: how many times have you seen a government or political party admit that they were wrong on a certain policy and reversed it? I’m sure such a phenomenon is very rare indeed. This is because politicians can only push for social reform plans by overselling them but reality can be very different. However, admitting the failure of a program is political suicide. Hence, plans and policies that were seen as failures long ago would persist.

One more reason behind this is our fear of wasting our initial investment in these plans which is known as the “sunk cost fallacy”. This is a form of flawed reasoning. Because by persisting on the wrong road you are only wasting even more of your resources and time. This phenomenon makes social reform very difficult as it requires facing the failures of the past. This might cause losing public trust in the future. In some cases, the politician might have to face off against emotional investment from the public in these policies.

The Prudent Reformer

Social reform is not a trivial endeavor that only necessitates good intentions and zealous dedication. It is a careful balancing act that requires patience and compromise. The prudent reformer cannot succeed by merely forcing a false equilibrium on the sociopolitical system. Since, the power required to shape it would eventually be its downfall. I would like to conclude by the words of economist Thomas Sowell describing the Prudent reformer in the eyes of the father of economics Adam Smith:

“ The prudent reformer, according to [Adam] Smith, will respect ‘the confirmed habits and prejudices of the people,’ and when he cannot establish what is right, ‘he will not disdain to ameliorate the wrong.’ His goal is not to create the ideal, but to ‘establish the best that the people can bear.’

– A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell

Author: Wail Rimouche

Violence against Women, Social Taboo?

December 11 2020

Women fall victims to violence because of their gender. It is a manifestation of the power disparity between the two sexes. The right of women and girls to a life free from violence is a legitimate right of humans. Reality is completely different. This is not only happening in Algeria but it is transcontinental and present in all countries of the world. Even the most advanced ones!

Since the world is celebrating in this period 16 days of activism against violence against women and girls under the name of “orange the world campaign” starting from November 25th:” The International Day Against Violence Against Women and Girls” to December 10th: International Human Rights Day, I wanted to seek the opportunity and talk about this subject. So, if you are interested in the subject keep on reading this article. If not, keep also on reading it can change your thinking about the topic or add new information to you!

What is violence against women?

The United Nations defines violence against women as any violent act that the aggressor’s nervousness leads to, and that results in harm or suffering for women. Whether from a physical or psychological point of view. Including the threat of such acts or the arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether this occurs in public or private life.
Usually, the perpetrators are either current or ex-husbands, parents, siblings, or colleagues. Often women and girls are exposed to violence in places where they are supposed to feel safe. For example in their homes or their social surroundings.

Women most vulnerable to violent practices are those who are separated from their partner, married, or who were exposed to violence during their childhood.

A report of the United Nations confirms that only 10 percent of the women who are victims of violence report that they are exposed to that and only 40 percent talk about it with relatives, which highlights the need for action to sensitize women to the importance of changing their reality. Despite the existence of the laws, they lack accompaniment and enforcement mechanisms. The World Health Organization believes that violence against women is one of the biggest health risks that women face all over the world!

Violence against women in Algeria:

Algeria has seen a significant rise in violence against women in recent years, both in the family and in the street according to an article published by Al Jazeera. Security Services statistics say they recorded nearly eight thousand cases of violence against women only in the first nine months of 2019.

The general figures of the National Directorate of security-which are now recording violence against women – show numbers that need to be seen given the significant growth of the phenomenon, since in 2016 more than 8,000 cases of violence against women were recorded, 50% of which were domestic violence.

In the same context, Algeria counted more than 7,586 violent cases against women during the first nine months of 2017, as well as those who did not file a complaint against those involved, often because of fear of husbands and the reaction of society.
The figures also found that violence against women is 65% and that men are 90% responsible.

However, despite all the alarming numbers recorded about violence against women, the real figure is much greater because of the lack of reporting by abused women for several considerations. Also because of the nature of society and local norms, which often reprimand women who report violence.

Causes of violence against women:

Social motives:

These include low levels of Education. Widespread ignorance among members of society. Consequently, vulnerability to misconceptions that spread in society, as well as the adoption of macho views that manifest themselves in the form of both physical and sexual violence.

Psychological motives:

The psychological factors that formed in the personalities of perpetrators of violence against women in childhood greatly influence their behaviors. The most prominent of these psychological factors is the victimization of the perpetrator in any form in childhood, his presence in a family environment where the father attacks the mother in any form. The absence of the father from the family can be a cause too. Besides personality disorders that may lead to the creation of an antisocial personality.

Economic motivations:

Low living standards, widespread unemployment, and poverty are among the most common causes of violence in many societies today. These causes, combined, pose significant psychological pressures on the breadwinners of the family, which often collide with the consumerism of women.

Sometimes, women themselves can be one of the main factors that lead to violence against them! Such as when they are very afraid of the man himself or of the society in which they live. They are forced to silence and submit to violence, such as ridicule, to avoid the most severe physical violence. Women are forced to refrain from violence if there is no one to protect them when they are subjected to any form of violence. Also, most women are afraid to go to court and lodge complaints because they are convinced that there are no laws to deter violence. In addition to the domestic pressure that women may be subjected to if they file a complaint against men. Sometimes the husband may force her to all these things, combined, do not encourage women to resort to the courts to respond to violence against them.

Violence against women is a clear and blatant violation of human rights. It prevents them from enjoying their full rights and has serious consequences not only for women but for society as a whole, with serious social and economic consequences.

The effects of violence against women:

Violence results in severe physical, psychological, sexual, and reproductive health problems in the short and long term and high social and economic costs for those exposed to it.
Also, it can cause fatal consequences, such as violence, induced abortions, and women’s health problems. In addition to that murder, preterm birth, and low birth weight. These forms of violence can also lead to depression and suicide.

Sexual violence, especially during childhood, can increase the likelihood of drug and alcohol addiction. Also dangerous sexual behaviors later in life. There is also a relationship between exposure to violence perpetration (for males) or becoming a victim (for females) in adults.

What about children?

Kids raised in families where violence is common are more likely to experience a range of behavioral and emotional disorders. This can lead them to commit or fall victims to such violence later in life.

Research of Uppsala University showed a link between cohabiting violence and higher infant and child mortality and morbidity rates (e.g. diarrhoeal diseases and malnutrition) was also revealed.

Social and economic impacts:

YES! Violence against women incurs huge social and economic costs. Women may experience isolation, inability to work, loss of pay, lack of participation in regular activities, and limited access to care for themselves and their children.

Solutions to the problem of violence against women:

From a personal perspective, I believe that prevention begins through school curricula. It must include programs to identify and respond to violence. In addition, programs that demonstrate the need for the relationship between couples within society to be based on principles of respect.

Violence against women must also be addressed through the correction of gender-specific cultural norms with the contribution of active official institutions, civil and civic organizations in society. Reformists, and religion, as well as local media. Developing the health sector and respond to situations of violence and raise awareness on the subject will help a lot.

Besides, legislation to protect women’s rights, whether at the family level, at the employment level, and legitimate rights, must be implemented. As well as numerous amendments to the old laws, which are no longer relevant in the current situation.

People must be pushed to practice life side by side with the participation of women. Many families are afraid to give responsibility to women, for fear of being attacked with words and vilified. This reinforces the existence of social and cultural backwardness, making it gnaw in the minds of societies for decades.

The role of civil society in eliminating this phenomenon:

Algerian society, like Arab societies, continues to subject women to male control. Along with the authority of traditions that contribute to the humiliation of women.

Despite holding high positions in various fields and entering areas that were exclusive to men, she remains in the eyes of society as a minor. Incompetent, unable to decide the fate of her life, and only created to marry, have children and serve the family. Unfortunately, the authority of tradition has excelled in insulting her, taking violence as a means of disciplining women as if they are in need of that!

Youth leaders can be a powerful component of social change as they have the desire to change social and political structures for the better. We need to empower them! Invest in their skills and abilities to achieve peace and justice. This will end all forms of violence, either against men or women!

Author: Rania Boublal.

The Attention Economy: Why You Cannot Put Down Your Device (Part 2)

December 4 2020

digital control, Social Media, the attention economy

In the first part of this article, I tried to explain what the attention economy was and how it worked. In this second part, I will be looking into how the attention economy is affecting our lives and how we can regain digital control.

Let us look at what consequences the attention economy can have on us-the consumers.

An Everlasting Distraction

Think about how many times you check your phone per day. It’s hard to keep count, isn’t it? According to recent statistics, the average smartphone user unlocks their phone 150 times a day. With the different notifications, pop-ups, and messages, it becomes very difficult to get back to your workflow once interrupted. The continuous distraction deprives us of creating the conditions for concentrated deep work, which brings satisfaction and effective results.

A Toxic Relationship with Devices

On average, we use a gadget for 10 hours and 39 minutes each day. Not many of us are happy with how much we use our devices during the day and a lot of the time we are aware of how they affect our productivity, our social interactions, and our mood. Will this realization make us regulate the time spent on our devices, particularly our phones? No, we pick up our phones again to distract us from the uneasiness of our realization or to cheer ourselves up by sharing and getting likes.

Mindless Scrolling on Social Media

The infinite scroll is a built-in feature of social media feeds whose basic function is to automatically generate content the more the user scrolls through their feed. There is no bottom for a Facebook or Instagram feed, even if you have seen all the content shared by the profiles you follow. There is always some suggested content that might interest you.

“The scrolling doesn’t draw us in, but it keeps us there for much longer than we might be if the feeds ended, or if we had to click buttons to reveal new content,” says Adam Alter, author of Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked, and a professor at NYU, speaking about the infinite scroll. “People tend to function on autopilot until something inside their heads or in the world around them subtly or explicitly suggests it’s time to move on. Reaching the end of a feed is one such cue; removing the endpoint short-circuits that cue.”

The bottomless feed plays a major role in creating a mindless scrolling habit. The designer of the infinite scroll in 2006, Aza Raskin, said to the BBC that the innovation kept users looking at their phones far longer than necessary. “If you don’t give your brain time to catch up with your impulses, you just keep scrolling.’, said Raskin.

Developing an Addiction

According to an article published by Harvard University researcher Trevor Haynes, during positive interactions on social media, like receiving a notification or someone liking your picture, the brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel good. This chemical is associated with recreational drugs, food, sex, exercise, etc.

Behaviorist psychologist F.B Skinner explained in the 1930s how rewarded behavior is likely to be repeated. In the case of our use of social media, positive interactions are random rewards, and checking for them is easy. This makes the dopamine-triggering behavior a habit that we repeat ‘to feel good.’

A social media addiction involves broken reward pathways in our brain exactly like a gambling or substance addiction. According to TED, 5 to 10 percent of internet users are psychologically addicted. The immediate reward that social media provides is the attention we get from our network for little effort. The brain then rewires itself and makes you crave likes, comments, reshares, etc. Brain scans of social media addicts resemble those of drug addicts. There is a noticeable change in the areas of the brain responsible for attention, decision making, and emotions.

What Is the Future of the Attention Economy?

Companies will continue to design for attention in the future. Instagram, Facebook, and Snap, for example, are testing augmented-reality advertisements.

It’s not all doom and gloom, however! After receiving complaints from its users about attention-grabbing design and distraction, Apple responded by removing multiple notifications in quick succession on iPhones. It also introduced screen-time statistics which allow users to keep track of the time spent on electronic devices.

Can We Regain Digital Control?

I personally remember intentionally staying without internet during my freshman year at college. I would limit the time of my social media and internet usage to the time I go home by the end of the week. That had helped me be more productive, make time for my hobbies like reading and writing, and be present at every moment with a clear mind and not so much anxiety. I have then noticed over the years how my increased presence on social media had made me more anxious and affected my attention span. However, it did help me find many opportunities for personal and professional growth. So I do not think that complete isolation from social media platforms is the best option. There is a lot you can benefit from these platforms, but moderate use is crucial for a more meaningful and stress-free life.

Here are some suggestions to gain back control:

Becoming aware of how much time you spend on these platforms is an essential first step to get back control over your focus. Many of us may not realize how much time we are wasting on Facebook or Instagram through mindless scrolling, and there are specific applications and programs that help you keep track of your activity and the time you are spending on your devices.

By monitoring your digital activity, you can make sure that you have control over your time, remain focused and create space for more productivity and quality work.

Being mindful of your digital time is a great first step that will allow you to choose where to spend your time more and what is worth having your attention. You can remove apps that are not adding any value to your life or your time. Unfollowing accounts and profiles that may make you feel more anxious or depressed is also very helpful for a clearer mind. You can also consider using anti-distraction apps when you want to remain focused on your work for a long period of time.

There are also people who choose to set availability hours for email and Slack, so others know when to contact them and when they can receive a response.

It all comes down to creating the perfect conditions for yourself both online and in real life so that your work, creativity, mental health, and overall well-being do not get affected and you get to make the most of your time and your most precious commodity: your attention.

Conclusion

The responsibility does not only fall on the consumer to regulate their use of these platforms, but companies should also take into consideration how their products are affecting the well-being of their users. Some companies have taken these matters into consideration, but it is very important that we as consumers take matters into our hands and prioritize our well-being over all else. Technology keeps evolving and changing over time and we need to be more mindful of how this change is affecting us and shaping our lives.