American solution to an American problem

A few weeks after I came to this country for graduate studies, it was nearing Thanksgiving and the television ad for Alka-Seltzer that I watched then is what I refer to as American solutions to American problems.

What was the ad about?

In this ad, the audio commentary and the pictures presented all the wonderful foods that the viewer ended up eating at Thanksgiving, which then resulted in stomach aches and heartburn. And, presto, Alka-Seltzer to the rescue!

While watching the commercial, my reflexive thought was simple: if the problems came from overeating, then why not simply advise the viewer to eat less?

Of course, as I have come to realize, to consume less is not American.  Instead, the American way is to consume more, and then when problems develop savvy entrepreneurs provide solutions to facilitate further consumption.

Today's exhibit along those lines?  Apparently more and more people have trouble falling asleep in this consumer capital of the world.  No, it is not from food, though certainly contributes its own problems.  This sleep hassle is thanks to the gazillion electronic gadgets that seemingly surround us every minute of the day and on which our eyes are fixated.  From television screens to smartphones, screens of all types.  What's the link?  It is from the blue part of the spectrum:

Blue wavelengths—which are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood—seem to be the most disruptive at night. And the proliferation of electronics with screens, as well as energy-efficient lighting, is increasing our exposure to blue wavelengths, especially after sundown.

You want more detail?

Recent studies have shown that short-wavelength [blue] light has a greater effect on phase shifting the circadian clock and on melatonin suppression. In 2014 my colleagues and I examined the effects of reading on a light-emitting device compared with reading a printed book. Participants who read on light-emitting devices took longer to fall asleep, had less REM sleep [the phase when we dream] and had higher alertness before bedtime [than those people who read printed books]. We also found that after an eight-hour sleep episode, those who read on the light-emitting device were sleepier and took longer to wake up. In the study all participants had to stop reading and turn off the lights at exactly 10 P.M., even if they did not feel sleepy. At home, I would expect people do not have the motivation to turn off their devices and go to bed, so they would stay up longer and experience even more circadian delay and shorter sleep times. The effects in the real world could actually be even greater.

Got it?  Let's recap.  Light influences our sleep pattern.  Especially the blue light.  As animals, normally we would begin to prepare for sleep after sundown.  But, on top of the lights all around, there is the blue wavelength from the gadgets that end up screwing up our sleep (and the internal clock that influences the working of organs in our bodies.)

The solution would be simple, right?  No gadgets into the night hours.  Especially when there is no ambient lighting, as in looking at the glowing screen in a dark room.  But, nope, it is un-American to propose such solutions and, worse, to implement it.

Hence, an American solution to an American problem:

Along with various other health-focused apps, the new version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 9.3, will include the Night Shift feature. This app will use the device's clock and geolocation to determine what time the sun sets and will automatically shift the phone's display color to the warmer, or redder, end of the light spectrum until the following morning.

This is merely.the latest in the consumption culture.  Do not even dare to suggest that we put those devices down; to borrow from Charlton "NRA" Heston, people'll give their screens when you pry them from their cold, dead hands ;)

Are you a human or a gadget zombie?

Earlier this afternoon, I stepped out to run errands, including getting my hair cut.  I am now uber-conscious about my checklist.  After going through the sequence, I intentionally left my cellphone behind at home and headed out.

I started doing this a while ago, but of course only when I am driving in town.  I leave the cellphone behind fully knowing I might be away from my phone for three hours sometimes.

I was beginning to worry that my mental makeup was getting affected by the tether to this electronic gadget.  A worry that I was becoming the Pavlovian dog responding to the beeps and sounds from the cellphone.  In the old days, when stopped at the traffic light, if I looked at the rear-view or side view mirrors, there was a fair chance that I would see the eyes of the driver behind me.  But, I started noticing that increasingly the drivers' heads were down.  No eye contact anymore.  They were gazing down at their gadgets.

Thus, even though I was a minimal smartphone user when away from home, I decided that I needed to take breaks.  Of course, most of the time when I go for walks I am naked without the phone anyway.   So, driving around in town without the phone was not going to be anything that dramatic. Nonetheless, I decided that I ought to, in order to make sure my brain doesn't get reprogrammed the way the businesses would like to brainwash me.

Even until a few years ago, that's what we did; remember?  The landline is all we had and we went about our lives.  We might have missed calls.  But then we made sure to have an answering machine so that the bill collectors could leave their nasty messages ;)  And remember how some of your annoying friends had some atrocious outgoing messages that made you wait forever for the beep?

Now think about kids and teenagers who are growing up with that tether.  They have no experience whatsoever of being away from gadgets like smartphones.  It should worry you.  It should worry all of us.

Take that one step higher:

Excessive use of computer games among young people in China appears to be taking an alarming turn and may have particular relevance for American parents whose children spend many hours a day focused on electronic screens.

An attachment to books doesn't become something like that.  An attachment to thinking and walking by the river doesn't prevent me from eating and going to the bathroom.

The documentary “Web Junkie,” to be shown next Monday on PBS, highlights the tragic effects on teenagers who become hooked on video games, playing for dozens of hours at a time often without breaks to eat, sleep or even use the bathroom. Many come to view the real world as fake.
Chinese doctors consider this phenomenon a clinical disorder and have established rehabilitation centers where afflicted youngsters are confined for months of sometimes draconian therapy, completely isolated from all media, the effectiveness of which remains to be demonstrated.

Let me repeat one sentence in case you didn't get the full weight of it: "Many come to view the real world as fake."  Worried now?

This is not any uniquely Chinese problem.  Japan has its version.  And the internet of things will mean that sometime soon even Malawi's kids could end up as gadget zombies!

While Internet addiction is not yet considered a clinical diagnosis here, there’s no question that American youths are plugged in and tuned out of “live” action for many more hours of the day than experts consider healthy for normal development. And it starts early, often with preverbal toddlers handed their parents’ cellphones and tablets to entertain themselves when they should be observing the world around them and interacting with their caregivers.

Are you beginning to worry now?  Not yet?  Ok, how about some more excerpts:

“If kids are allowed to play ‘Candy Crush’ on the way to school, the car ride will be quiet, but that’s not what kids need,” Dr. Steiner-Adair said in an interview. “They need time to daydream, deal with anxieties, process their thoughts and share them with parents, who can provide reassurance.”
Technology is a poor substitute for personal interaction.

Aha, you recognize this theme from my other posts, right?  Like even in this road-trip post from a few days ago.

Technology is a poor substitute for personal interaction, indeed.

Maybe, if I have the energy, I will write about the wonderful conversation that I had at the barbershop.  In the meanwhile, for your health, plan on systematic disconnect from that ball and chain that restricts you--no, I am not referring to your spouse, but to your cellphone ;)