“Can’t I just talk to a human being?!” Well, do you really want to? Depending how you prioritize your life, you may or may not care to speak to another human being again. Our lives are filled with so many things that we can focus our attention on; we call it a stimulus overload. Stimulus overload is a concept that describes a condition in which our nervous systems are overwhelmed to the point where we cannot simultaneously respond to everything in the environment. (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts, 2012) But do to the fact that there are so many things to focus our attention on, how do we decide what to focus on and what not too? Back in 1970, Psychologist Stanley Milgram developed 6 different concepts on the strategies he believes people utilize to avoid all of the overwhelming demands that we may be subjected to, but would like to find a way to escape from it all. These 6 retreats include ways on how people prioritize their lives, how we choose to spend our time, and what we really want to focus on. I would like to discuss 3 of these 6 retreats as I believe they truly correlate with one another by means of new age technology. These retreats include structures, barriers, and filters.
3rd – Structures
We set up that take the personal element out of our transactions. (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts, 2012). For example, we have only to think about holiday season coming up soon-how many of us plan on doing our shopping at the malls and department stores? How many of us plan on doing our shopping online? Would people really trade in the traditions of holiday decorations, free wrapping, and crowds for just the simple convenience of the internet? The answer is… yes! Statistics have shown that department stores are being submissive to online stores just as holiday cards have been replaced by emails, social media posts and text messages. Consider yourself fortunate if you receive a gift besides someone’s overstock of gift cards. After all, ‘tis the season for not receiving, it’s all about the spirit of convenience to be able to give.
4th – Barriers
We erect barriers to social interaction as we go about our daily life. (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts, 2012) The invention of the smartphone has truly changed the way we occupying a lot of our free time these days. When you walk into a place where people are waiting, are others conversing with one another, or is everyone just busy texting, emailing, and playing Candy Crush? People are more willing to let others know where they are at (e.g. Facebook check-ins, tweets, texts, etc.) and carry on a conversation with people online, rather than the people who are actually waiting with them. When I think about the use of smartphones, IPad, and mini-laptops, I can’t be too critical because after all, aren’t they just replacing the book we used to lug around, or the infamous doctor’s office magazines?
5th – Filters
We use filters such as often having to go through complex automated phone menus or layers of people before reaching the intended targets. (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts, 2012) Most of the companies that we commonly utilize have adapted to similar types of these layers, especially for their telephone support. Utility companies, cable, and financial services seem to be the most common examples. “For account information, press 1. For billing information, press 2. For technical support, press 3. To talk to a customer representative, please hang up and visit our website, a response will be emailed to you within 24 hours.” Companies have moved towards expanding their areas of expertise, while at the same time shrinking their workforce and not having a sufficient amount of workers to handle the high demands of incoming phone calls. How many times have you heard: “Due to heavy call volume, your expected wait time is between 45 and 60 mintues.” Grrrr….
These are just three different ways how we as people, can truly separate ourselves from others within our community and society as well. If you find yourself adapting to these retreats, you might becoming what is known as deindividuated. Deindividuated is when people become less concerned with self-evaluation, reduce their self-restraint, and increase engaging in antisocial behavior. (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts, 2012) So I challenge you on your next trip to the DMV: don’t take any mechanical devices with you, and see how many friends you can make.
References:
Schneider, Frank W., Gruman, Jamie A., Coutts, Larry M., (2012) Applied Social Psychology; Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. 2nd Edition; SAGE Publications, Inc.