0:00:06.800,0:00:08.090
Hello everyone.

0:00:08.090,0:00:12.100
Before I begin my talk today, [br]I would like to do a small experiment.

0:00:12.440,0:00:17.410
By a raise of hand, how many of you here[br]are extremely annoyed by these symbols?

0:00:18.320,0:00:21.870
(Laughter)

0:00:24.560,0:00:26.600
Many of you, indeed.

0:00:26.600,0:00:30.760
Before I go on to explain to you [br]why I ask you to do this,

0:00:30.760,0:00:33.320
I'm going to introduce to you a concept

0:00:33.320,0:00:37.420
that really baffled me [br]called the "productivity paradox."

0:00:38.410,0:00:43.639
From 1971 to 2015, an era [br]known as the Digital Revolution

0:00:43.639,0:00:47.128
which introduced the Internet, [br]personal computer,

0:00:47.128,0:00:49.374
smartphone, and so on,

0:00:49.400,0:00:52.840
while the number of transistors [br]per microprocessor --

0:00:52.840,0:00:57.921
which is a reliable indicator[br]of technological capabilities --

0:00:57.921,0:01:01.399
doubles every two years.

0:01:01.399,0:01:05.482
At the same period of time,[br]worker productivity growth

0:01:05.482,0:01:08.458
actually goes down instead of going up.

0:01:09.138,0:01:11.489
What this paradox tells us is that

0:01:11.489,0:01:16.000
as technology becomes more advanced [br]and more readily available --

0:01:16.000,0:01:20.800
which should have supposedly made [br]our jobs easier and more efficient --

0:01:20.800,0:01:25.230
the marginal gain in our productivity[br]actually decreases.

0:01:25.630,0:01:29.330
So what actually happened [br]with productivity growth?

0:01:29.330,0:01:33.925
While there are many factors [br]to be blamed for this decline,

0:01:33.925,0:01:36.680
such as an aging workforce,

0:01:36.680,0:01:40.711
there is one particular factor [br]that really captures my attention,

0:01:40.711,0:01:43.298
since I was also a "victim" of it,

0:01:43.298,0:01:47.097
is addiction to [br]technological distraction.

0:01:47.960,0:01:51.075
You see, with a plethora [br]of information accessible

0:01:51.075,0:01:55.330
right in your palm, [br]from irresistible clickbait

0:01:55.330,0:01:59.718
like "Top 17 most shocking truth[br]about blah, blah, blah.

0:01:59.718,0:02:01.389
You won't believe number 9!"

0:02:01.389,0:02:05.579
to Reddit threads, YouTube videos, [br]Facebook hashtags,

0:02:05.579,0:02:10.520
and "you may also like" suggestions [br]at the bottom of every single article --

0:02:10.520,0:02:17.100
we are being directed to an unlimited [br]supply of mostly useless information.

0:02:17.100,0:02:18.807
And before you even know it,

0:02:18.807,0:02:23.144
it's already 11:00 pm and [br]your assignment is due at midnight!

0:02:23.144,0:02:25.880
(Laughter)

0:02:25.880,0:02:28.740
You feel bad, work like hell [br]to meet the deadline

0:02:28.740,0:02:32.000
with mediocre work, [br]promise to yourself

0:02:32.000,0:02:35.000
that it would never ever happen again.

0:02:35.000,0:02:37.640
And then we do it all over again.

0:02:37.640,0:02:38.760
(Laughter)

0:02:38.760,0:02:41.163
The bad news is it doesn't stop here.

0:02:41.913,0:02:45.094
After I escaped from the prison [br]of Internet addiction,

0:02:45.094,0:02:50.310
sometimes I find myself haunted[br]by images that I was once a part of.

0:02:50.310,0:02:54.060
Images like a group of friends [br]coming to a coffee shop.

0:02:54.640,0:02:57.880
They took a selfie, posted to Instagram

0:02:57.880,0:03:02.175
and then, silence, everyone [br]was scrolling at their phone

0:03:02.175,0:03:04.080
while sipping the coffee.

0:03:04.560,0:03:06.955
Images like my classmate

0:03:06.955,0:03:10.619
who ranted about 15 seconds of buffering

0:03:10.619,0:03:13.389
and loading of his Netflix video.

0:03:14.069,0:03:20.216
Images like a girl crying over [br]her boyfriend's "late response" --

0:03:20.216,0:03:23.892
"It's been ten minutes, and he hasn't [br]replied to my message yet," she said.

0:03:23.892,0:03:24.920
(Laughter)

0:03:24.920,0:03:30.960
Or a guy screaming over a 15-second [br]YouTube advertisement

0:03:30.960,0:03:34.680
and keeps pushing the "Skip ads" button [br]until his screen is broken.

0:03:34.680,0:03:36.850
(Laughter)

0:03:36.850,0:03:39.462
The problem is, it's not our fault.

0:03:40.060,0:03:44.701
Every single site and app, [br]from YouTube to Facebook,

0:03:44.701,0:03:49.160
is deliberately and intentionally [br]designed to be addictive.

0:03:49.160,0:03:53.695
"If you're not paying for it, [br]you become the product."

0:03:53.810,0:03:58.127
Unlike a newspaper subscription, [br]social media apps and online sites

0:03:58.127,0:04:01.280
don't charge you a cent [br]for using their products.

0:04:01.750,0:04:04.510
Obviously, you still have to pay [br]for the Internet fees.

0:04:04.510,0:04:05.530
(Laughter)

0:04:05.530,0:04:10.320
Anyway, they have an entire [br]R&D team that is dedicated

0:04:10.320,0:04:13.700
to maximize the time [br]you spent on these apps.

0:04:13.700,0:04:18.648
As Aza Raskin, the inventor [br]of infinite scroll, himself said,

0:04:18.648,0:04:23.569
"Behind every screen on your phone, [br]there are generally like literally

0:04:23.569,0:04:26.776
a thousand engineers[br]that have worked on this thing

0:04:26.776,0:04:29.660
to try to make it maximally addicting.

0:04:29.660,0:04:34.382
It's as if they're taking [br]behavioral cocaine

0:04:34.382,0:04:37.757
and just sprinkling it [br]all over your interface,

0:04:37.757,0:04:41.960
and that's the thing that keeps you like[br]coming back and back and back."

0:04:42.230,0:04:46.480
Indeed, features like infinite scroll,[br]instead of having to turn the pages,

0:04:46.480,0:04:49.980
or real-time notification of everything,

0:04:49.980,0:04:55.070
from likes, comments, mentions, [br]trending hashtags, messages, etc.,

0:04:55.070,0:05:00.520
are intended to keep you [br]in a vicious cycle of impulses

0:05:00.520,0:05:04.090
and to keep you stay in the apps [br]for as long as possible.

0:05:04.460,0:05:05.660
The more you use them,

0:05:05.660,0:05:09.200
the more data they have about you[br]to sell to advertisers.

0:05:09.880,0:05:14.200
That's why you see advertisements [br]about vacation deals on Facebook

0:05:14.200,0:05:16.889
after searching for a flight on Google.

0:05:16.889,0:05:21.200
By not giving your brain time [br]to catch up with these impulses,

0:05:21.200,0:05:24.040
online sites and social media are actually

0:05:24.040,0:05:30.440
more effective than cocaine and alcohol[br]in making you depend on them,

0:05:30.440,0:05:33.759
according to a 2015 study by ASU.

0:05:34.569,0:05:37.495
Similarly, recent studies by MSU

0:05:37.495,0:05:41.827
also indicated that [br]excessive social media usage

0:05:41.827,0:05:48.339
can compromise our decision-making [br]capabilities, similarly to drug addiction.

0:05:48.339,0:05:53.520
This is extremely concerning considering [br]that many young children nowadays

0:05:53.520,0:05:57.945
are given access to Internet [br]at a very young age.

0:05:58.449,0:06:02.010
Technologies' capability of hooking [br]young people

0:06:02.010,0:06:04.818
by constantly releasing [br]dopamine in their brain

0:06:04.818,0:06:07.520
can create a new generation

0:06:07.520,0:06:11.520
that is toxic, impatient, [br]and unproductive.

0:06:11.520,0:06:16.380
The good news is it's never too late[br]to rehabilitate.

0:06:16.380,0:06:21.560
While I may not be in the best position [br]to give you specific medical advice,

0:06:21.560,0:06:24.860
one approach that worked [br]quite well for me

0:06:24.860,0:06:28.690
is to designate a particular [br]screen-free time.

0:06:28.690,0:06:34.084
At first, it would sound very [br]tough and counterintuitive,

0:06:34.084,0:06:37.139
even futile, to resist this temptation.

0:06:37.359,0:06:41.544
So it might be helpful to start small;[br]maybe just 30 minutes a day,

0:06:41.544,0:06:43.690
and then gradually increase it.

0:06:44.299,0:06:49.069
I would suggest surrendering all of your[br]electronic devices to a trusted friend.

0:06:49.579,0:06:52.920
During this "screen-free time," [br]you can try to read a book,

0:06:52.920,0:06:54.310
go for a walk,

0:06:54.310,0:06:56.730
or even spend some minutes [br]on meditation

0:06:56.730,0:07:00.620
and allow your brain [br]to quiet down and recover.

0:07:00.620,0:07:03.600
The first step in every [br]recovery process --

0:07:03.600,0:07:06.720
whether it is substance[br]or behavioral abuse --

0:07:06.720,0:07:10.590
is to accept the fact [br]that you are addicted.

0:07:10.590,0:07:15.440
It would be a difficult journey,[br]but remember, the rewards are worth it.

0:07:15.850,0:07:17.700
By regaining control of your mind

0:07:17.700,0:07:21.930
and escaping from the prison [br]of constant distraction

0:07:21.930,0:07:23.960
built by technology,

0:07:23.960,0:07:27.540
we are also regaining [br]the time and energy,

0:07:27.540,0:07:31.280
those that can be used [br]to finish our work on time,

0:07:31.280,0:07:33.840
gain more sleep, hit the gym,

0:07:33.840,0:07:37.680
call your grandmother or contemplate life.

0:07:37.680,0:07:38.640
Thank you!

0:07:38.640,0:07:40.640
(Applause)

0:07:40.640,0:07:42.340
(Cheering)