Consider distraction

I spent the morning reading an article named 'in defense of distraction' (http://is.gd/KAem), also on my blackberry (meaning that I'm typing this on my blackberry as well, thank god for copy&paste). Interesting stuff, it's probably one of the most widely debated topics in recent memory. I think I might as well jot down a few notes before the meta reference surreality wears off.
 
My take on the story is this:
The world is definitely suffering from some sort of ADD but it's not the kind of doom and gloom story some people like to portray it as. Rather, the flood of information in recent ages might simply be emphasizing a problem that had been inherent in human society for a long time... The light only serves to reveal what's been there all along, not create new stuff out of the dark, so to speak.
 
People get so caught up in technology when talking about change, that they often lose the sight of the real problem. The information technology and subsequent increase in information distribution and uptake doesn't really matter. What really matters is how it might reduce productivity of the masses exposed to the new century saturated with information by providing endless sources of distraction when they might be doing something productive, maybe even important.
 
But you see, most of the modern distractions are distractions of choices. People choose to get on twitter. They choose to read emails and they choose to answer their blackberries/iphones. None of the modern distractions are forced on people (except in some cases where people make living off of it) and it is possible to live like a medieval monk if you choose to do so.
 
When you get right down to it, this is the issue of willpower and motivation in society. Face it, for most of us life is a kind of drudgery, and we struggle to get free from the limitations of the world around us through distractions. If you're living like a slave chained to a galley you can't be blamed for getting distracted by every shiny thing that comes along. Unhappy people are distracted easily.
 
Contd
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