Editor鈥檚 note:

Has COVID-19-induced physical distancing made our unhealthy relationship with technology worse? Not necessarily, argues digital anthropologist Brian Solis, who is also author of 鈥淟ifescale: How to Live a More Creative, Productive, and Happy Life.鈥� But the time has come for consumers to start demanding for technology that will help us make more of ourselves. The interview is conducted by Sara K眉pfer, a staff writer for getAbstract in Lucerne, Switzerland. Visit journal.getabstract.com for the original interview.

Q: You have long warned about the potentially detrimental effects of social media and the attention economy on people鈥檚 mental well-being. What are some of them?

A: In 鈥淟ifescale,鈥� I discuss many of the destructive aspects of unmitigated tech use. Over the past decade, people have spent ever increasing amounts of time on social media, scrolling through Buzzfeed, playing Minecraft or Solitaire for hours, and other activities that stifle human connection. Largely due to tech, people were becoming physically and socially isolated before COVID. To use the most popular term of 2020, we were 鈥渟ocial distancing鈥� without realizing it.

Q: The pandemic and lockdown have made us all even more dependent on online tools to replace face-to-face human interactions. In a recent blog post, you describe how people have been using some of these technologies in very constructive and life-affirming ways. Live social media video, you write, has been able to 鈥渂ring people together for the best reasons, to share, live, learn, and cope.鈥� Do you think the COVID-19 experience is changing people鈥檚 relationship to and use of these technologies long-term? If so, in what way?

A: I do. And I think it鈥檚 happening in many positive ways. Yes, people are spending more time on the Internet, on-demand video, and social media (no surprise), but out of necessity they鈥檙e also using technology to connect with other people, more so than before, I think.

Now that physical distancing has become a necessity, I see many people saying, 鈥淗ey, wait a minute! I need social interaction. I need to be with other people. I need to hear their voices and see their faces.鈥� The result is that they鈥檙e finding innovative ways to come together through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and even LinkedIn. They鈥檙e using this technology the way it was intended, to bring us together 鈥� to engage and feel alive through connection. Also, I actually prefer the term 鈥減hysical distancing,鈥� rather than 鈥渟ocial distancing.鈥� Ironically, COVID-19 is helping some of us do a better job of using the tools at hand to 鈥渃onnect鈥� socially and emotionally, rather than distance.

Q: It鈥檚 virtually impossible to be fully engaged in the world without a smartphone and a social media account. How do you straddle the fine line between taking advantage of technology鈥檚 positive aspects and its destructive influence on our mental health, productivity and well-being?

A: Ha. I could write a book 鈥� 鈥淟ifescale鈥� follows my own journey to overcome digital distraction, redefine my values, learn how to focus deeply and tap into creativity again and then it shares how we can all begin following the same path. There鈥檚 a lot more work to do. As with most addictions, the first step is to realize you have a problem and resolve to address it. It鈥檚 helpful to track your specific behaviors for a few days or longer. For example, how frequently do we check email, pick up our phones, scroll our news and entertainment feeds, etc.?

Q: Once you have a better idea of how technology is sapping productivity, how do you go about reining in its destructive effects?

A: Using hacks like The Pomodoro Technique can be a good starting point. The tool can help us focus in sprints as we put digital distractions aside for increasingly longer periods of time, usually beginning at 25 minutes. However, hacks aren鈥檛 nearly enough. It鈥檚 also important to work on ourselves.

It usually takes a long time to reach 鈥渂ottom鈥� with technology and the journey back involves reassessing our values, aligning our priorities, and taking proactive steps to regain focus. Unfortunately, there鈥檚 no 3-, 5- or even 10-step fix. It takes time, mindfulness and effort. And, for those of us, like me, who depend on technology for our livelihood, it鈥檚 an ongoing effort.

Q: Public awareness of technology鈥檚 negative impacts 鈥� including technology addiction, the erosion of human attention and political polarization 鈥� is growing. Millions are looking for alternatives or a counterweight to our technology-dominated lifestyle by practicing mindfulness or expressing interest in a more minimalist lifestyle. Don鈥檛 you think there would be a market for an alternative smartphone operating system with apps designed to help humans overcome their weaknesses and enhance their human potential?

A: Some tech is available, but there needs to be more. The challenge is that social media and smartphone technology is designed to addict us and the creators are making a fortune off our addiction. So consumers have to turn up the heat and give them incentives to change. And, so far, not enough of us have spoken out. It鈥檚 up to the users to advocate for change. If enough people rise up, share their views in ways that can鈥檛 be ignored and document a clear need for change, it will come.

If enough parents demand that all smartphones for anyone younger than 16, let鈥檚 say, include apps that restrict overuse, we鈥檒l start to see innovation and change. If enough intellectually and emotionally exhausted professionals demand that smartphone providers include options to manage tech use, they鈥檒l do it. Some apps are already out there, like Moment, Offtime (iOS, Android), Space, etc., but they鈥檙e not getting a lot of media coverage. Outside of the tech bubble, who knows about them? We, the consumer, have to ask for more.

Q: How do you explain the lack of concerted consumer pushback?

A: This question taps into a topic I鈥檝e been focusing on lately 鈥� on some level, we鈥檙e almost all averse to true innovation. We鈥檙e uncomfortable with change. Innovation challenges our core human constructs that are wired into all of us, the compulsion to follow rules and accept the status quo.

Q: What would it take for the technology industry to change and start designing tools that will help us make more of ourselves?

A: I see two parallel solutions to this issue. Now that the problems have been identified, we need to come together and lobby for smartphone and social media innovations that emphasize necessary functionality while limiting the addictive aspects of this tech.

If enough people demand it, and vote with their wallets, change will follow.