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In today's day and age institutions such as schools and workplaces face vast amounts of distractions and it is undeniable that these distractions diminish our productivity. If institutions alter their schedules productivity will improve It is also important to note that the greatest of these distractions are technological distractions. One major change schools and workplaces can make to their schedule is to offer breaks to boost productivity & focus despite technological distractions.
Software developers intentionally create their apps to snatch our attention. For example, in the article titled "What is Brain Hacking?" published by well know news organization CBS in January 2017 former Google product manager Anderson Cooper states that “the companies responsible for programming your phones are working hard to get you and your family to feel the need to check them constantly”. Some programmers call are calling it brain hacking.
Software developers intentionally create their apps to snatch our attention. For example, in the article titled "What is Brain Hacking?" published by well know news organization CBS in January 2017 former Google product manager Anderson Cooper states that “the companies responsible for programming your phones are working hard to get you and your family to feel the need to check them constantly”. Some programmers call are calling it brain hacking.
So how can institutions help people be more protective in a time when there are many distractions? All of our teachers and bosses tell us to put our phones away but how effective is this? Do all of us actually listen? Of course, we don't because we are hungry for new messages and likes. The reality is that our current schedules in schools and workplaces are not optimal for productivity in today's day and age.
If institutions implement breaks during daily schedules aside from lunch productivity will increase. In school, a potential solution to this would be to implement recess in all grade levels. According to Susan Meyer, principal of Meads Mill Middle School, older students also need time for recess because it allows them to take a breather and become more mentally prepared to learn”. A quick 1 time a day 15 minute-recess can be the catalyst to cause productivity in school. Outdoor environments are most favorable during these breaks. In the workplace, we can do the same by offering unstructured 15 to 30-minute free time to the employees.
More time does not mean more productivity if we do not have enough focus and based on staggering evidence from The New York Times our focus is very inadequate. For example, the evidence shows that “the average attention span is 8 seconds 1 second less than that of a goldfish” It is also important to note that this is an average meaning that there are attention spans larger and also less than this. The way to best manage our time is to take breaks, stay away from technological distractions and meditate studies have found that meditation “improves blood circulation focus and memory”. In conclusion, there are many ways that institutions can improve our productivity.
Future Research Question: How can students manage their own use of technology (e.g. smartphones) to improve their productivity?
