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Archive for March, 2011Distractedness: Part of Being HumanI advise people that we seek distractions, and I am learning it’s a natural part of being human. In The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, Nicholas Carr writes, “the natural state of the human brain, like that of the brains of most of our relatives in the animal kingdom, is one of distractedness. He goes on to say that we are predisposed to shift our gaze and our attention from one object to another.  Any change attracts us. That’s good if we’re surrounded by saber tooth tigers because a reaction is necessary. It may not be as good if we need to pay attention to one task and something else attracts us. The book’s premise is that the constant availability of distractions(internet, personal electronic devices) affects our brains. It’s like having thousands of interruptions constantly seeking and getting our attention. There’s an example occurring with me right now. I have Google Gadgets on my desktop and pictures from my files are changing all the time. Every time a new picture surfaces, it gets my attention and the fact is I like seeing them! But it affects my concentration and my brain. Posted March 8th, 2011 in Human Factors, ObservationsNational Sleep Awareness Week March 7-13It’s National Sleep Awareness Week. Are you aware of your need for sleep? There’s a difference between awareness and action. According to an article in today’s Marietta Daily Journal, more than a third of American adults sleep less than seven hours a night. Many of them report troubles concentrating, remembering, and driving. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this information March 3 in two separate studies. It’s interesting that pipeline companies are developing plans to provide pipeline controllers opportunities for eight hours sleep and 35% of people surveyed in 12 states said they sleep less than seven hours a night. And most pipeline controllers have to sleep about half the time during the daylight hours. It appears that sleep awareness week needs to become daily sleep awareness. The second study reported that 23% had trouble concentrating; 18% had memory problems; and 11% experienced difficulties driving. The more I learn about sleep problems, the more important education becomes. Posted March 7th, 2011 in Human Factors, In the News, Managing Fatigue |
