Diocese of Toledo, Ohio

Browsing From the Pastor

Goldfish and Relationships

A recent study says that goldfish have longer attention spans than people! Researchers looking into the effect of digital media on brain activity found that as recently as 2012, the human attention span was measured at 12 seconds. A more recent study found that the human attention span has dropped by a third to just 8 seconds. By comparison, goldfish have attention spans of 9 seconds!

Researchers say the likely cause of this drop in attention span is related to the vast amount of information that is constantly available to us through communication channels via the internet. Information access isn’t a bad thing unto itself. However, constant connection overstimulates our brains and changes the way we think. The quickness of jumping between messages, tweets and news items orients us to short-term decisions. That affects our long-term memory, our ability to engage in activities where prolonged attention is needed, and it makes us impatient.  Sound familiar?

Technology isn’t bad; it’s a necessary aspect of modern life. But maybe we should think about the potential consequences of technology as measured by the quality of our relationships. Ask yourself: Have I grown distant in my relationships with others and with God? Have I become impatient? Short tempered? Do I spend time in meaningful conversation with my spouse and my children? Do I take time to pray – not just saying prayers – but to talk to God about the things that I really care about? 

The idea of the Sunday Sabbath originally meant not working. Maybe we can apply this ancient guidance to our modern circumstances by intentionally disconnecting for one day a week. Can you survive a day without checking email? Will you go crazy if you can’t look at Facebook? Try putting away the smartphone. Turn off the computer. Instead, read a printed book. Go for a walk with your spouse. Make the dinner table a “no phone” zone. Write a letter to a friend using pen and paper. In other words, give yourself the gift of slowing down. You may find that all your relationships improve.

And if you can’t do this for yourself, do it for humankind. We can’t let goldfish outdo us!

Grace and Peace,

Deacon Tom Dubois

 

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