Ayisha Qureshi

Do you know why the Goldfish dies so quickly? There are several reasons, the common ones are an increased nitrogen content leading to ammonia poisoning, decreased oxygen concentration in the tank due to poor aeration (both happen when you don’t clean the tank for ages!), and stress of adapting to a cramped space (they are usually placed in bowls instead of aquariums). However, they also die of constipation due to impaction which can occur when they are overfed. So now to the next question: why do they overeat- first reason is that you over feed them. An over enthusiastic child will take his responsibility too seriously and just keep on adding food to the fish bowl. Second, goldfish has a concentration span of nine (09) seconds only. Every time there is more food, it eats it- every time! Irrespective of how many time it has already been fed. Why? Because it forgets! With a memory span of only nine (09) seconds, it forgets that it just ate and so it eats again and again.

Now if you are through feeling sorry for the gold fish, let’s feel sorry for the species that has a concentration span one (01) second shorter than the goldfish: Humans. Yes, that’s right. According to a study carried out by the Microsoft Corporation, human attention span has supposedly dropped from 12 seconds in 2002 to only eight seconds in 2013, which is a second shorter than a goldfish. This decrease in attention span has been found across all ages and genders. This inability to focus on a single task has been attributed to one thing and one thing only: Technology. This digital consumption comes in the form of multiple screen habit, social media addiction and useless and habitual internet browsing.

Here are a few of my thoughts on this- hope they get you thinking as well:

• Remember, internet and all social media are bottomless pits. Let me explain. When you pick up a magazine or a book, there will come a time when you will finish reading it even if you read it from cover to cover. Finally you will be done with it and put it down. With the social media, whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. there is no end to it. Stuff keeps getting added to your feed. It will only stop when you stop. So be aware of this fact when you browse.
• The constant shifting between screens while on social media leaves you incapable of focusing on any one thing for long. Research shows that constant distraction actually affects your ability to concentrate even when you want to or have to.
• When so much of your time is spend in the virtual world, the connectedness to the real world, the physical world decreases. Everything is virtually oriented. That is not the ideal way to live.
• It leads to an inability to sit alone with yourself and your thoughts- the moment you are bored, you reach for the phone or the TV remote. How can you ever be content if you cannot be at peace with yourself?
• Your memory suffers, what you value suffers and so does your ability to complete tasks and do meaningful and deep work. That is not a life well lived.
• Your life is lived in constant comparison to others and you are always competing- and for what? You will never know. There is constant stress as if you are sitting for an exam that never ends.

This was an article just to sensitise you to the hazards of internet and social media. I could go and on but would you be able to focus? If you have completely read the article, please accept my congratulations. Maybe it’s not too late for you as yet!!!