IS SMART TECH MAKING US DUMB?
This glimpse
of the future was crafted by: Danielle Bond
of the future was crafted by: Danielle Bond
A giant
humpback whale breaching the waves right in front of you is a magnificent sight
– a once in a lifetime experience. Photographer Eric Smith recently captured
such a sighting on camera, but it went viral for all the wrong reasons: as
those aboard looked on in wonder, a man was flicking through Facebook on his
mobile phone and missed the entire thing. The photographer told CBS News that a
whale and her calf were “flapping, breaching, jumping, mouths eating fish,” but
the man never budged. He has five photographs of the man who was busy with his
phone as the whales danced around the surface of the boat. The caption below
the picture on multiple sites reads: “A sign of the times?”
humpback whale breaching the waves right in front of you is a magnificent sight
– a once in a lifetime experience. Photographer Eric Smith recently captured
such a sighting on camera, but it went viral for all the wrong reasons: as
those aboard looked on in wonder, a man was flicking through Facebook on his
mobile phone and missed the entire thing. The photographer told CBS News that a
whale and her calf were “flapping, breaching, jumping, mouths eating fish,” but
the man never budged. He has five photographs of the man who was busy with his
phone as the whales danced around the surface of the boat. The caption below
the picture on multiple sites reads: “A sign of the times?”
Similarly,
Microsoft recently pitted a goldfish against a millennial in a proverbial
‘stare-down’ – a game of who can focus longer? The goldfish won. Studies
link the goldfish’s victory (and our increasing distraction) to our growing
dependence on disruptive technologies that bombard our thought processes and
demand our attention. Is it true that smarter technology is making us all
dumber – and if it is – should we be worried? Is there a need for businesses to
do something about it? What would happen if we invested the time technology
saves us more wisely?
Microsoft recently pitted a goldfish against a millennial in a proverbial
‘stare-down’ – a game of who can focus longer? The goldfish won. Studies
link the goldfish’s victory (and our increasing distraction) to our growing
dependence on disruptive technologies that bombard our thought processes and
demand our attention. Is it true that smarter technology is making us all
dumber – and if it is – should we be worried? Is there a need for businesses to
do something about it? What would happen if we invested the time technology
saves us more wisely?
Thinkingslower to work better
Daniel
Kahneman’s seminal book, ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’, contains the
central thesis that there are two modes of thought: ‘System 1’ is fast,
instinctive and emotional; ‘System 2’ is slower, more deliberative and more
logical. Difficulties arise when we try to solve large, complex problems using
fast ‘System 1’ thinking. When ‘System 2’ thinking is deliberately put in to
action, with the brain given enough time to allow it to percolate, great things
can be achieved. In fact, many of the smart technologies that stand accused of
dumbing down a generation would have been designed using ‘System 2’ thinking.
Kahneman’s seminal book, ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’, contains the
central thesis that there are two modes of thought: ‘System 1’ is fast,
instinctive and emotional; ‘System 2’ is slower, more deliberative and more
logical. Difficulties arise when we try to solve large, complex problems using
fast ‘System 1’ thinking. When ‘System 2’ thinking is deliberately put in to
action, with the brain given enough time to allow it to percolate, great things
can be achieved. In fact, many of the smart technologies that stand accused of
dumbing down a generation would have been designed using ‘System 2’ thinking.
What if
the time we gain from new technologies could be put to good use in pursuit of
slower thinking? In future, the organisations that embrace a two-speed
work environment will be the ones that thrive. They will save time by utilising
the most relevant and up-to-date digital technologies, many of which will then
be operated using more automatic, faster ‘System 1’ thinking. But rather than
instinctively using these time savings to cut costs, forward-thinking companies
will reinvest this money back into the processes that require slower, ‘System
2’ thinking.
the time we gain from new technologies could be put to good use in pursuit of
slower thinking? In future, the organisations that embrace a two-speed
work environment will be the ones that thrive. They will save time by utilising
the most relevant and up-to-date digital technologies, many of which will then
be operated using more automatic, faster ‘System 1’ thinking. But rather than
instinctively using these time savings to cut costs, forward-thinking companies
will reinvest this money back into the processes that require slower, ‘System
2’ thinking.
Companies
that follow a Design Thinking approach already work in this
considered way. They appreciate the long-term value that’s derived from seeking
to solve design problems through thoughtful, human-conscious methods.
They harness the best of both the digital and human worlds by
respecting the output from each.
that follow a Design Thinking approach already work in this
considered way. They appreciate the long-term value that’s derived from seeking
to solve design problems through thoughtful, human-conscious methods.
They harness the best of both the digital and human worlds by
respecting the output from each.
More complicated
than it sounds
than it sounds
But this
is more complicated than it sounds and requires us to stay in the problem
longer. We all have a propensity to jump to a solution as quickly as
possible. It’s uncomfortable staying perplexed. We have been
programmed to believe that time is money, hence a quick project (or quick
answer) is a good project. The boom of yesteryear saw us all put our faith in
getting things done quickly quickly quickly, yet in today’s environment we find
ourselves face to face with some really complex problems which have too many
moving parts. Quick thought doesn’t allow one to consider all of the issues and
to truly understand the problem. “Move fast” and “Agility” have become the new
business mantras, yet Einstein famously said: “It’s not that I am so
smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer…”
is more complicated than it sounds and requires us to stay in the problem
longer. We all have a propensity to jump to a solution as quickly as
possible. It’s uncomfortable staying perplexed. We have been
programmed to believe that time is money, hence a quick project (or quick
answer) is a good project. The boom of yesteryear saw us all put our faith in
getting things done quickly quickly quickly, yet in today’s environment we find
ourselves face to face with some really complex problems which have too many
moving parts. Quick thought doesn’t allow one to consider all of the issues and
to truly understand the problem. “Move fast” and “Agility” have become the new
business mantras, yet Einstein famously said: “It’s not that I am so
smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer…”
In a
world where volatility is the new norm, thinking deeply enough and long
enough will allow us to come up with something truly differentiated.
world where volatility is the new norm, thinking deeply enough and long
enough will allow us to come up with something truly differentiated.
Google X, the software
giant’s secret “moonshot” lab, where they seek to create world-changing ideas,
promotes this type of ‘System 2’ thinking. The company culture encourages its
workers to chat, be curious and creative. Google glasses and self-driving cars
would never have generated enough oxygen to leave the incubator if they had
based their innovative design approach on speedy ‘System 1’ thinking.
giant’s secret “moonshot” lab, where they seek to create world-changing ideas,
promotes this type of ‘System 2’ thinking. The company culture encourages its
workers to chat, be curious and creative. Google glasses and self-driving cars
would never have generated enough oxygen to leave the incubator if they had
based their innovative design approach on speedy ‘System 1’ thinking.
In
navigating our digital future and mulling over how best to help staff and
customers win the proverbial ‘stare-downs’ in the years ahead, there is a
desperate need for slower, more deliberate thinking through some of the most
complex problems the world has ever faced. Reinvesting the time technology
saves us into ‘System 2’ thinking could be the elixir that helps smart
companies move ahead in the innovation race and turn a sign of the times into
business advantage. Who knows – they may even be able to re-invent the goldfish
bowl altogether.
navigating our digital future and mulling over how best to help staff and
customers win the proverbial ‘stare-downs’ in the years ahead, there is a
desperate need for slower, more deliberate thinking through some of the most
complex problems the world has ever faced. Reinvesting the time technology
saves us into ‘System 2’ thinking could be the elixir that helps smart
companies move ahead in the innovation race and turn a sign of the times into
business advantage. Who knows – they may even be able to re-invent the goldfish
bowl altogether.
For the LATEST tech updates,
FOLLOW us on our Twitter
LIKE us on our FaceBook
SUBSCRIBE to us on our YouTube Channel!
