The Popcorn Mind is the condition or a state of mental distraction where person’s attention jumps rapidly from one thing to another.This term has been coined by David Levy, a researcher from University of Washington. It is also a kind of syndrome where the person is mentally overloaded with information.
What does Forbes say about Popcorn Mind ?
Social media platforms—designed with features like real-time notifications, infinite scrolls, targeted ads and the churning algorithms that keep people glued to their screens—exacerbate the popcorn brain by promoting compulsive usage patterns. The quick rewards from social media notifications activate our brain’s reward pathways, mimicking an addict’s brain activity.
Imagine a situation where you pick up the phone to call someone urgently or pay a bill but you open up your favourite social media platform and forget about the real reason to touch the phone.
Negative Impacts of Popcorn Syndrome
The impacts may not be visible at that moment but digging a deep cavity in your physical, emotional and mental health.
- The most common is less attention span, leading to difficulty in concentrating the other task as the screen changes in micro seconds while the real life situations persist for a longer time.
- Anxiety and stress is another issue that comes from it as we get involved with the things that hardly add any productivity in our life. We fall in prey of false information. Spending time on unnecessary things , we get deviated from our real purpose or task of the day. This all lead to anxiety and stress
- Irritability get increased as we get so engrossed in this multitasking that if someone call us, we get irritated. Imagine you are playing a game on mobile or watching something on TV or mobile that you are eagerly waiting for your next reward or next scene that you avoid all other tasks.
- Posture is also get affected by sitting long hours on the device with too much stress on eyes too. The rays emitted by these not only harm these too but disturb your circadian rhythms or biological clock. That in turn disturbs your sleep patterns.
- The real challenge is when you’re in Actual world and yet applying the same concept and logic that you have seen or used in your virtual world. This impacts your relationships too.
- Procrastination , disorganisation , forgetfulness are the other negative impacts on your life. This all can cause chaos in your daily routine. In such cases you may not be able to take right decisions in your life.
Technology is good until it disturbs your daily routine ,thoughts , relationships and goals.
How to overcome this Popcorn Syndrome?
Initially it may seem difficult but if you are determined nothing seems impossible. Few years back when I wrote about Social Media Detoxification, I didn’t think about that I will across such syndrome. When this is happening in and around the family and friends, one should aware about others about this. This algorithm of social media is trapping us in such a way that it would be difficult to come out it and we, be the slaves if it !!
Social Media Detoxification-
This is a simple method worth trying.
Social Media Detoxification – how to do it in three easy steps
Meditation/Mindfulness
You can try some guided meditation. It helps you to understand your mind and have a control your thoughts and emotions
Journaling
It is another way to get connected with yourself and indulge in mindful practice where you do not need a screen. In this case your own emotions and feelings come out rather than forcefully induced in you. Mindful journaling is no less than a therapy without any cost.
To correct a popcorn brain, consider implementing the following steps as suggested by Dr Mazher:
1. Set time limits for social media: Allocate specific periods for social media use to prevent constant checking.
2. Practice mindfulness: Develop mindfulness techniques, such as meditation, to enhance focus and reduce mental clutter.
3. Create a structured routine: Establish a daily schedule with designated time blocks for various activities, fostering better organisation.
4. Prioritise tasks: Identify and prioritize tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed, focusing on high-priority items first.
5. Take regular breaks: Incorporate breaks into your routine to refresh your mind, preventing burnout and improving overall productivity.
This is just a small article to make you aware that still it is a time , Remember a stitch in time saves a nine. So start working on it.
Watch and Listen this Harvard Stress Doctor to understand better
