It seems that in South Africa nobody is in a hurry. Although, that doesn’t apply to me. I am always rushed. Even on holiday I keep up the pace and spot the shortest queue. If I really have to wait, I kill the time on Linkedin, Facebook and my recently added Insta-account. Make sense says Octave Mirbeau “mankind wants to discover.. continuously. She thinks, feels and loves likes a tornado. Her brain, a highway of thoughts, images and sensations”. Mirbeau wrote this in his book LA 628-E8 in 1907. Its title, the license plate of his car. Nowadays, online images and sensations are available in abundance! Since Google’s launch in 1998 the number of Amercians online rose from 41% to 89%. (Pew Research Center). For sure also Social Media, which our brain loves so much has something to do with this increase. In newspaper Metro, Erik Scherder, neuro-psychologist explains why. With every app or “like” your brain gets a shot of dopamine. Exactly, the neurotransmitter that makes you feel happy. The opposite is also true. No messages makes your mind feel bleu. All this continuous distraction does make harder for your brain to keep focus (Niels Taatgen in Knowledge of Now). Taking a break from Social Media is good for your brain and balance, according to Scherder. I myself am gonna follow up on his advice for the next couple days. And, OMG how much am I looking forward to apps and likes if I get WiFi again in two days.
