wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] Johnny S from Cranford, NJ June 25, 2008 - 10:27AM

  I see younger people (I'm 43) who can't walk down the street without texting people on their cell, sending IMs or yapping on their cell phones. They are unable to endure the silences and downtime of the day. And I think we start this when we plug our children into DVDs when we take long drives or flights or stick them in front of the TV when we want some quiet.

  
  
• [2] chris o from New York City June 25, 2008 - 10:28AM

  And web surfers...

  Shut down the comments page. And turn off your radio. AND GET TO WORK!

  
  
• [3] Adderrall! from Manhattan June 25, 2008 - 10:31AM

  Booorrrrriiinnnggg....

  
  
• [4] Robert from NYC June 25, 2008 - 10:34AM

  I have no cell phone, I have no Blackberry, I have no ipod or whatever is the current equivalent of ipod, I have no music attached to my ears, I have none of that stuff, [BIG SIGH!!--of relief] and yet these are the things that cause me distraction! Yes, YOUR "who cares" conversations that I'm forced to listen too, YOUR music that blasts those horrid scratchy sounds as you sit next to ME on the subway, YOUR "fingering" as it were, your Blackberry while looking down and walking into me and your selfishness and self-importance (read stupidity). Remember you only get 15 minutes of fame and who cares after that. So, yes Ms. Jackson, all these things cause me distraction. Most of you won't be remembered after you die so relax and get off the stage.

  
  
• [5] hjs from 11211 June 25, 2008 - 10:34AM

  will the GOP war on science lead to a north american dark age?

  
  
• [6] Yes I am from Manhattan June 25, 2008 - 10:35AM

  She can't find her way around w/o a map or google?

  I think there's a reason for that outside of the availability of PDAs... *wink*

  
  
• [7] Max from Manhattan June 25, 2008 - 10:36AM

  I absolutely agree with your guest. I can barely go to the movies anymore because our attention spans are so short these days, the theater looks like someone let loose a bunch of fireflies from people checking and sending text messages. As a writer, I'm concerned that if people don't have the patience to even sit through a movie, are we reading books anymore? The implications are horrifying, especially for kids.

  
  
• [8] Amy from Manhattan June 25, 2008 - 10:36AM

  What's amazing is that the speed of modern society has even affected the arts. When I started acting professionally in 1989, we rehearsed plays for 6 weeks. Now rehearsal periods are often only 3 or even 2 weeks. This frequently makes the work produced more shallow and less powerful.

  
  
• [9] GA from BRKLYN June 25, 2008 - 10:38AM

  While the problem seems systemic, it seems that in order for the individual to overcome these distractions while not becoming overly atavistic we need a new for of discipline. What practical things can I do? What approaches and excercises can I partake in?

  
  
• [10] Richard Williams from Larchmont, NY June 25, 2008 - 10:39AM

  As a 47 year old unemployed music teacher, my observation is that the search for knowledge and letting kids be kids has completely disappeared. I dread the next generation of leaders of our country.

  
  
• [11] JC Brotherhood from Suffern NY June 25, 2008 - 10:49AM

  Alexis De Tocqueville writing in 1755? on what he called the new physiognomy of servitude:

  "I very clearly discern two tendencies; one leading the mind of every man to untried thoughts, the other prohibiting him from thinking at all".

  Hmmm I guess there really is nothing new under the sun?

  
  
• [12] ben from brooklyn June 25, 2008 - 10:49AM

  What's up with that?? Since when did this substitute for real questions on WNYC? You used it twice in about two minutes. It seems like WNYC is trying to be all "genX" and "slacker" all of a sudden with language like this and shows like The Take Away, where between real news we have to have sarcastic jokes otherwise we would loose our attention.... What's Up With That????

  
  
• [13] Barbara from Greenlawn, NY June 25, 2008 - 10:57AM

  Carving out quiet time to THINK and analyze is critical to maximize results. One example: A major Brokerage Firm gave me a simulated sales scenario before agreeing to hire me. They gave me products and "propective customer" info and I was to call the prospect and close the sale (actors took the calls). I spent MOST of the test time analyzing the products vs customers (making best match). After such a long silence, the testors called me to ask if I was OK. I said yes, I was just getting prepared. Then I made the calls. Test result: one of the highest they'd ever had! (and a job offer). I've always believed you have to concentrate, think and prepare, then act. One must carve out the quite time you need to focus on one major task at at time: turn off the TV, radio, phones, etc.

  
  
• [14] hjs from 11211 June 25, 2008 - 10:58AM

  ben

  that's rough.

  
  
• [15] Barbara from Greenlawn, NY June 25, 2008 - 11:04AM

  Yes, it's rough. But necessary. With IM at work, I had to just ignore it for at least 1/2 hours chunks of time, just to get meaningful work done. sometimes I stopped long enough to write- "back at 2" or whatever time I thought I could take a break. Cubicles don't have doors -- so you have to close the virtual doors, at least in a few chunks of time during the day.

  
  
• [16] Nelson from NYC June 25, 2008 - 11:13AM

  My comment was deleted???!!! Why???!! After reading your comment guideline I see no reason why...What gives WNYC??!!!

  
  
• [17] jacq from brooklyn June 25, 2008 - 11:15AM

  It's either laughable or brilliant that Andrea Bernstein is hosting this show today...she is a total trainwreck. All these Brits taking about American distration quotient, and Andrea is barking "STOP! We're out of time!" as soon as she asks a question and apologizing for the voices in her ear...

  Yikes. I had to turn off the radio because I was so distracted. Driving that point home.

  
  
• [18] A from Houston, TX June 25, 2008 - 01:32PM

  I can't put down all this technology down. I listen to this show on my earphone via computer everyday. It's often because I can't stand to hear the lockerroom talk, the whining, or gossiping in my office. So, I definitely use technology to avoid people at least at work.

  The darker side of such avoidance would be using your cell phone as a substitute for real human contact. Perhaps the saddest thing I've seen lately is a lady in her 20s or 30s dining out, going through 3 courses for over an hour all the while talking on her cell quite loudly. I was embarassed for her, but she didn't seem to be.

  Using this stuff well is just a question of etiquette.

  
  
• [19] Chris from Montclair June 27, 2008 - 11:39AM

  In a lot of these discussions about multi-tasking, there's a tendency to over-simplify the meaning of a "task." Someone might claim that talking on a phone while driving equals two tasks, with the assumption being that we could subtract the cell phone and we'd be left with one discrete task, driving.

  But driving involves many tasks, at least it does if you want to do it without killing yourself. Both feet must move, your eyes have to do certain things, both hands are involved, you must constantly remember things (e.g., street names, traffic regs), gauge distances, estimate times, recognize and interpret behavior of other drivers, adjust your posture, and so on.

  We're always multi-tasking, even when we're "just" watching TV. In part, that's because there's nothing that we do that is very simple. In some cases, we are just good at making things look simpler than they are.