Your Percentage of Presence

To what percent are you present in this moment? Do you have the TV on in the background with your phone in hand's reach? Are you participating in a twitter chat while you read this post? Are you thinking about where else you could be on a new tab? How present are you, right now, right here, with me? What is your percentage of presence?

I often wonder what impact our society's relationship with technology is having on our ability to completely be present in our environment. An essential component of cooperative learning is having a clear connection with people. This connection becomes compromised when we are summoned by a vibration or ding of choice.

As someone who is a fan of multitasking and neuroscience, I know that when I am trying to complete more than one thing at a time my brain feels like it's functional abilities are being divided into pieces. I've learned from experience that one task is bound to be below par in standard and there's a scientific reason for this. It's in the nature of teachers to be pleasers, think we can do many things at once very well and we often expect the same of others. Yet, gosh darn science proves us wrong with brain scans and data.(read more)

There is a thin, grey line with this social norm we have created to look down instead of up or out a window. Our need to give in to the itch that something has to be done or shared or liked right now. I wonder about the consequences of this seeping codependency on the rewards of connection. (I 'd like to imagine, somewhere, Pavlov is releasing a maniacal laugh at all of this.)It's like zombie teenagers have taken over the adult mind and we're giving in to one thumb up and heart at a time.

In all seriousness, there have been unfortunate consequences because people underestimated the power of their actions and social media or couldn't wait a few minutes to send a text. I've heard of children calling out adults for their low percentage of presence. How close are we getting to needing a technology intervention to increase the quantity and quality of human interaction?

I am far from a saint in all of this. My personal goal this summer is to work on increasing my percentage of presence. I'm going to try wearing my headphones less and trade in music for listening to the languages and laughter that surround me each day. More eye contact, looking forward when walking (look out for that pole!) and pulling over the car or myself when I need to connect with the world through my device.

I have a feeling that my brain and more importantly, friends and family will thank me for it.