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The Real Time Web is a Beautiful Distraction

Submitted by Joshua-Michéle on May 8, 2009 – 1:40 pmView Comments

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During my study of classical Chinese it would take hours of contemplation to really get to the root of a poem.   That was the point.  It was a meditation proposed by the poet for consideration by the reader.  As with philosophy, poetry is a time-intensive practice that requires deep focus and concentration.   Twitter, Friendfeed, Facebook and the host of real-time-web feed services belong on the opposite side of the spectrum.  They are quintessentially distraction-based media;  shallow on context and truncated into staccato bursts of conversation…  These media play off of a very real psychological factor known as operant conditioning, the addictive need to return over and over in hopes of a reward (a great link from Scoble perhaps?)…

The dominant revenue model of the web today – the ad that urges a click -  embeds distraction into interface design.   The more clicks you take – the more Google makes in ad revenue (distraction pays).   This is not to say that social media doesn’t have extraordinary value – it does – It is at  the heart the emerging social nervous system.   Yet,   The ability to pay attention, focus and strategically disconnect will be a winning discipline of the next generation of business leaders.  As the zen phrase says, “eat when you eat” meaning, give each thing you do all of your attention.  You will be rewarded from it.    Lately I have been getting back to pen and paper brainstorming.   Away from the computer.

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  • I understand what you mean about it being a distraction. I love the old form of writing - through pen and paper. But don't get me wrong, social media is good too. Though it may be a distraction, it also helps in ways. You get to socialize and maybe talk about shallow things stress free. But you're right about the distraction part, that it also may be just a phase or something.

  • Bravo.

  • Extremely valuable thoughts and insight Joshua!

    I love this quote and completely agree: "The ability to pay attention, focus and strategically disconnect will be a winning discipline of the next generation of business leaders. "

    By strategically disconnecting and processing only the quality information without further distraction is key.

    Fantastic in concept but what about in practice? Can you truly eliminate all distractions that distort business focus?

    Mike Boyd

  • "The ability to pay attention, focus and strategically disconnect will be a winning discipline of the next generation of business leaders."

    This is awesome!

  • Joshua-Michéle

    Matt -- Freedom is incredible -- to think that there is a product that uses self-imposed inconvenience to impose discipline is just crazy! What is so sad is that I think I am going to download it!!

    Paul - thanks for the slidehshare link -- that is a great presentation. I was talking with Linda Stone at Social Foo camp this year about these same topics (she is quoted in the presentation).

    Larry - What you are talking about reminds me of the concept of "ambient intimacy" first coined I believe by Leisa Reichelt of Disambiguity in March 2007. I am speaking about the ability to prioritize and pay attention for a prolonged period of time. The act of recollection you describe is probably best done while away from Tweetdeck...

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