The "Twitter Effect"

It occurred to me a while back that my mind just isn’t what it used to be. It’s not as fast, not as coherent and definitely not as cohesive.

But unlike everything else – I don’t believe it has to do with age.

Instead I’m going to call it the “Twitter Effect.” No, I can’t blame Twitter – but will use the name to represent the many available social media outlets that I (we) use every day.

My theory: Using social media has made me ADD.

  • Remember the days when you could sit down and read an entire book in one sitting? Okay – me either, but at least a couple chapters in a row without falling asleep?!
  • Then came the blogs. Shorter and easier to “browse” so you only read the good stuff.
  • And don’t get me started on email – some short, some long – all important and urgent! Hundreds of little tasks you forgot you had to accomplish… 
  • Then Facebook came along with it’s short bursts of information. Of course you had to read it all because they were your friends – right?
  • Next Twitter took the paragraph and shortened it to 140 characters.
  • And now I live on Instagram. Pictures tell stories and you technically don’t have to read anything if you don’t want to.

So what has all this “technological advancement” done to me? To my brain?

I think it’s made me ADD!

I find more and more that my mind moves 100mph – but with no real destination. I wasn’t that way 10 years ago. I could focus for long periods of time – even on boring topics!

Now it’s like my mind is constantly surfing my Twitter feed – 30 different topics in 30 different tweets. 

I try to pray, but 20 seconds in and I’m having to bring myself back from 5 different mental tangents…

Is it just me?