I spent three glorious weeks in Ireland recently with only evening WIFI access. I forgot about checking email, watching for voice and text messages, and listening for incoming calls. I didn’t look anything up on the Internet, check Facebook, or wonder whether anyone had placed an order for books or CDs on my website.

Instead, I enjoyed the people and places, relaxed, and found each day longer than at home. As we drove home on the Mass Pike, NPR reported on a lively debate among scientists on the impact of being constantly wired. Half denied any and half were convinced of profound changes to the brain. A wilderness trip together was planned to provide ideas for subsequent studies.

I don’t need any scientific studies to convince me of a significant impact. The hows and whys would be interesting but the impact is obvious if you cut the wires periodically as I have done by heading into the wilderness or disconnecting during the day in Ireland.

Have you ever sat waiting for the first guest to arrive? For a baby to wake up from a nap? For an important phone call? You may talk or read or putz, but half of your attention is listening for car sounds in the driveway, for the stirrings of the baby, or for a phone ringing. When poised for an interruption, a real conversation can be difficult. You might find
yourself reading the same paragraph over and over without comprehension. In many ways, this is the state we are in all the time when we are wired.

When wired, it’s as if we are constantly listening for a guest to arrive. Our attention is split as we think about those who might be trying to reach us. We interrupt ourselves to check for new email and Facebook messages. We try to remember what we wanted to Google. And our focus and concentration suffer. We are not “in the moment” the way we
would be if no interruptions were possible.

What if constant interruptions make our brains physically less able to concentrate? What if, as some scientists believe, we are developing the brain of a primitive, interrupt-driven being attuned only to the constant dangers and opportunities of the hunt and the hunted, incapable of the concentration needed to read, write, and think complex thoughts? Is that a capability we want to lose?

It will be interesting to see what scientists conclude, but in the meantime, maybe it’s a good idea to leave the cell phone behind occasionally, turn off email, tune out all distractions, and practice the art of concentration! You may find it
slows the day, reduces stress, and increases enjoyment at the same time!