Screen Addiction: How to have a rewarding relationship with technology
Rens van der Vorst
In the 1970s we were massively addicted to cigarettes. Now again many people have a difficult relationship with an addictive product: the apps on our smartphones. However, our complete attitude towards smoking has now changed and we smoke much less.
What can we learn from that? And what lessons will help us make our screens work for us instead of the other way around? How do we ensure that we are not addicted to our screens, but that they help us become a better professional, parent or friend?
During the expert session, Rens van der Vorst engages the audience through a Q&A session, live demonstrations using the Mentimeter app for data collection, and sharing thought-provoking analogies. Rens discusses the impact of technology on individuals and society, drawing parallels between smoking and screen addiction to highlight the importance of healthy habits.
He also emphasizes the need for awareness and mindfulness in our relationship with technology, encouraging critical thinking and intentional boundaries. Rens addresses concerns around ethics, education, gender diversity, and the long-term effects of technology on our lives.
Exploring the comparisons between smoking and smartphone usage sheds light on important insights regarding screen addiction.
Setting intentional boundaries around phone usage in specific situations can significantly improve focus and mental wellbeing.
Being mindful of technology's impact, particularly its ability to manipulate behavior and ethical concerns, is essential for leading a valuable life.
In this expert session, Rens van der Vorst explores the connection between smartphone usage and screen addiction, drawing parallels with the history of smoking. Rens begins by asking listeners about their own phone use habits, gathering data using Mentimeter to illustrate the average number of daily pickups and hours spent on phones.
He questions whether this level of usage equates to screen addiction or if it serves a different purpose in our modern lives.
Rens then delves into the history of smoking after World War I, comparing its societal acceptance to the ubiquitous use of smartphones today. He reflects on personal experiences where technology usage is expected and necessary, such as fundraising campaigns and communication channels like WhatsApp.
The speaker raises a thought-provoking question: What can we learn from the history of smoking and how it relates to screen addiction? Rens implies that by examining these phenomena together, insights may be gained on limiting phone usage in specific situations to improve focus and mental wellbeing.
He suggests creating intentional boundaries around phone usage, such as leaving phones in the kitchen instead of bedrooms or using a simple alarm clock rather than relying on notifications.
Rens also proposes the development of an app that encourages running while using your phone and advocates for better technology and legislation to help individuals develop healthier relationships with their devices. The central themes of the session revolve around finding balance, creating intentional boundaries, and raising awareness about distractions that can impact focus and mental wellbeing.
During the discussion, Rens acknowledges the observation that society perceives smoking as harmful but using a smartphone as positive and required. He agrees with this assessment without further comment.
In response to concerns regarding technology's connection to ethical behavior, Rens emphasizes the importance of being mindful of its impact on individuals and society during times of rapid technological advancement.
From the survey every participant gets when the session ends, in their own words.
Really great! Loved the way the topic was presented with various examples Thank you for the presentation!
Interesting parallel with the past. It is mainly an excellent wake-up call for the conscience. Good answers to motivate the young generation would have been: what to do then.. when we are not on our screens ?
Excellent talk!
Interesting topics and insights. Interesting examples and anecdotes.
The part on WC technology was a bit weird.. otherwise this was a great presentation even if it lacked a bit "something deeper" in my sense, like explaining us how the "big nerds" are manipulating us via the apps
It is interactive, and the block above says exactly how for this session. Nobody has to speak up who does not want to: the chat and the polls carry most of it, and the questions can come in anonymously.
In the 1970s we were massively addicted to cigarettes. Now again many people have a difficult relationship with an addictive product: the apps on our smartphones. It is built for a general working audience: no prior knowledge is assumed, and people who already know the subject get the research and the practical side rather than an introduction.
Rens van der Vorst is one of the experts we auditioned ourselves, and we produce every session so we see how each one lands. Participants rate this session 4.2 out of 5, across 84 responses, and rate Rens personally 4.3 out of 5.
It runs 45 min / 15 min: the talk, then live questions. All you do is pick a date. We brief Rens, produce the session, host and moderate it, run the Q&A, and send you the report within an hour of the end.
A team, a department, an employee network or every single employee at once, with no cap and no per-seat price. It runs inside your own Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Meet, or on a branded page we build. No integration, no login, no company device or e-mail.
The session is delivered in English/Dutch. You can add high accuracy live subtitles in 8, 16 or 24 languages, so everyone follows in their own. That is a paid option, priced by the number of languages you need.
No, and that is by design. There is nothing to install, nothing to integrate and no connection to your systems, so there is nothing for IT to validate: we join your own Teams, Zoom or Meet as a guest speaker, or we host a page and your people open a link. No software, no accounts, and no data of yours that we can reach. It is why hundreds of companies, among them some of the largest technology and financial firms in the world, were able to start within a day.
We never receive or hold personal data about your employees. Because the session runs in your own environment, attendance and identity stay with you, and what we report back is aggregated: numbers, ratings and survey answers, not people. That is also why IT approval usually takes minutes rather than weeks.
You keep the recording and can share it internally. You also get attendance over time, participant ratings for the content and the speaker, the survey answers, and the topics your people asked for next.
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