Addicted to Distraction

Digital technology helps us
perform many tasks—often
at the same time. But is it
affecting our ability to think
clearly?

David Strayer never texts or talks on a phone when he is
driving. Strayer is a cognitive psychologist1 at the University
of Utah who specializes in attention. His research shows
that, when driving, using a phone can be as dangerous as
drinking alcohol.

Strayer and other scientists warn against multitasking.
When we do many things at the same time, Strayer says,
our brain becomes tired easily. We make mistakes and lose
focus. Yet multitasking is increasingly common, especially
on a phone or computer. Dr. Gloria Mark, a digital media
researcher, has found that people in the United States
switch tasks on their computers 566 times a day. This type
of multitasking is especially common among teenagers. On
average, a teenager spends between 7 and 11 hours a day
in front of a screen—doing homework, texting, watching
videos—often all at the same time.

Phones, tablets, and laptops are all useful tools, and we
may feel more productive when we use them. However,
when we spend hours on digital devices—constantly
switching between activities—our overall productivity
decreases. Why?

Many digital activities require high levels of
concentration. When we text or email someone, for
example, or even play games, we have to focus. When we
do this, our brain uses energy. When we multitask—which
is hard for the brain to do—we use even more energy.
Excessive multitasking reduces our ability to think clearly
and creatively, and to remember information. This, in
turn, can result in stress.

What is the best cure for our overstressed minds? David
Strayer says the answer is simple: Spend some time in
nature.

A Natural Remedy Strayer and other scientists are studying nature's effect on our brains and bodies.
When we are in natural environments, the prefrontal cortex (the brain's control
center) relaxes. Studies show that when people can see trees and grass, they are
calmer and do better in school. Indeed, people even relax when they look at photos of
nature. Consequently, they do better on different cognitive tasks.

Other psychologists are also studying "nature therapy." In a study at Chiba
University in Japan, 84 subjects went for a 15-minute walk in seven different forests.
The same number of people walked around different city centers. Researchers then
took blood from each person. The forest walkers had a 16 percent decrease in the
stress hormone2 cortisol. In addition, they had a 2 percent drop in blood pressure and 2 A hormone is a chemical substance produced in the body that controls the activity of certain cells or organs.

a 4 percent drop in heart rate. All did better than the city walkers. Lead researcher
Yoshifumi Miyazaki has an explanation for these results. Our bodies relax in pleasant,
natural surroundings, he says. Humans evolved in that environment, not in places
with tall buildings and lots of traffic.

Psychologist Stephen Kaplan and his colleagues have done similar research. In
one study, people took a 50-minute walk in a public garden. In a test conducted
afterwards, their short-term memory improved. When the same people walked on a
city street, it did not.

Kaplan says it is the visual details in nature—sunsets, streams, butterflies—that
reduce stress and mental fatigue. We enjoy them without having to concentrate on
them. This allows our brains to rest and recover from the stresses of modern life.

"Imagine a therapy that was readily available, and could improve your cognitive
functioning at zero cost," Kaplan says. "It exists: it's called 'interacting with nature.'"