Are we hooked up to digital?

Carlson’s time law says that doing a task uninterrupted will take less time than when interrupted. Now, consider how often we are interrupted by external triggers: phones ringing, emails coming in, patients and colleagues asking questions. Add to that buzzing, ringing, vibrating notifications from social media and others. Carlson’s suggestion is to try to create an hour a day to work without interruption, something which may not be easy but may be worth exploring. If we can turn uninterrupted work into a habit—starting and completing tasks rather than starting one thing and then moving on to another—we can work more effectively.

I am sure that many of you have had the experience of working early in the morning or late at night when nobody is there, leaving you uninterrupted and able to do so much more. But then of course, you also need to put your digital distractions away. One of the things I did on my phone and PC was to turn off all notifications for emails, communication apps and social media. My point of view is that I decide when I want to check my apps or messages, not somebody else by sending me something or my phone by giving me a notification.

When I give training on time management, people often tell me that they would love to have some more me time—just 30 minutes a day to do some jogging, read a book, meditate—or have 30 minutes every day to cook with healthy ingredients instead of buying pre-prepared food from the supermarket or to read bedtime stories to their little ones because they know it will have a positive impact on their cognitive development now and later.

But then they often say that they do not have time—and I really do understand that we do not have that much time anymore—and then I ask them whether they spend time on social media, and they do. I ask them how often and for how long, and they often say that they limit it to three to four times a day for 15–20 minutes at a time. That they limit themselves sounds good, right? But then I point out to them that this means that they spend at least 45 minutes and often longer every day looking at other people’s lives, yet they do not have 30 minutes to themselves, to cook healthily for their families or to read a bedtime story to their children. It is all about becoming aware of where their focus is and what their consequent behaviour is. Honestly, I sometimes catch myself when I have a free morning just scrolling in bed and suddenly realising that an hour has gone by. I have to recognise that I made a choice to spend time on this. Realising this helps me become responsible and accountable for my actions, rather than being disempowered by things just happening to me.

So how do you deal with these distractions in your clinics? Is there a clear framework for what interruptions are acceptable, how and when you use your phone, and other digital distractions, etc.? My experience is that most people and work environments do not have clear frameworks, so everybody does the best they can from their reference points, but often that is not aligned with the views, needs and/or expectations of other colleagues or what the dentist wants in the practice.

Again, being aware of your behaviour is key, and making conscious choices on spending time behind screens is the solution, but what about when we feel it has become an addiction? That is a whole different story. I read a very interesting article in American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine on understanding this and current approaches to treatment that you can read if you want to know more about this topic.²

The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction, which offers help to those with technology addiction, points out significant statistics regarding this addiction:

• Internet dependency: Over 35% of individuals exhibit signs of internet addiction.
• Constant connectivity: Approximately 31% of American adults report being online almost continuously.
• Daily online presence: A significant 85% of Americans access the internet daily.
• Pandemic influence: Internet addiction rates have seen a marked increase since the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Youth screen time: Teenagers average 8 hours of screen time per day.³

Can you relate to some of these patterns? Do you see this happening around you too, privately or professionally? That last statistic regarding teenagers is increasing, and we are probably the last generation who experienced life without a digital world. Youngsters these days have always known the digital world and thus do not see the problem with excessive screen time. While the many impacts on mental, physical, emotional and behavioural health are well established, it is also important to understand the worldview of digital natives—and that might be one of the greatest, yet interesting challenges we will face in the coming years. I believe that having open communication with your teams, loved ones and patients is key because it helps to ensure an efficient workflow in the practice and to promote healthy, happy, thriving lives and relationships.