In the Fact vs Feeling debate trend experts, Exploding Topics, report that there’s been some pretty alarming news coming from the latest scientific studies about the (potential) damaging effects of digital collateral, which we human beings are ‘devouring’ at a rate of knots.
On a global scale, the average person spends 6 hours 58 mins a day on digital devices, although according to Happiness expert, Dr Andy Hope, it’s more like 8 hours 41 mins, which is more than the average person sleeps each night.
South Africa hit the top spot in 2023, with an average 10 hours 46 mins a day, and the Philippines, Brazil and Colombia come in a close 2nd place with 10 hours a day.
Our Gen Zers average around 9 hours of screen time per day and perhaps most worryingly, almost half (49%) of 0 to 2-year-olds interact with smartphones.
On average, people spend 44% of their waking hours looking at a screen, yet in South Africa, this figure is closer to 70%, while Japan averages just 28% of their waking day in digital mode.
Data from a survey of 2,000+ adults revealed that less than half the time spent on screens is believed to be productive and 41% admit to finding screen time management “challenging”.
The potential side-effects of exposure to digital devices and the amount of time spent on them is well documented, not least the issue of sleep deprivation, given what we know about blue light and how it interferes with melatonin production and disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm.
Other associated issues are obesity (the data shows a strong association between screen time and obesity in children aged 5 to 17, most likely due to the sedentary nature of viewing a screen); susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (in the UK, children aged between 9 and 10 who spend 3+ hours on the screen each day were more likely to show resistance to insulin) and delayed learning (young children who watch excessive amounts of TV can experience language difficulties when they begin to talk).
However, according to Exploding Topics, limiting social media use to a maximum of 30 mins each day has been linked with reduced depression and improved well-being – so that’s a good goal to aim for!
I wonder what all this says about what’s happening to the human race, though?
Are we becoming less connected with reality; more inward-focused, insular, disinterested, detached and distant from others, as we engage ever more fervently with the digital age?
Or does this mean that we humans are becoming more future-focused, forward-thinking, open-minded & flexible to new experiences?
Can the human brain cope with this ever-increasing level of digitalisation in our lives?
I guess when it comes to business, we HAVE to move with the times and learn to adapt and flex accordingly with these technological advancements, which are shaping the way we work and live more than ever.
AI is proving to be an extremely efficient way of providing great customer service in specific situations (certainly for every day, straight-forward B2B and B2C transactions) and we’d be foolish to ignore the capabilities that the digital world affords us, wouldn’t you agree?
Although we’d argue that no amount of sophisticated tech will EVER replace the need for real human interaction, when poop hits fan, and human emotions take over.
We are emotional beings – FACT! 84% of our experiences are emotionally driven, and as emotions are processed 24 times faster than rationale or logic, it makes sense that, when we’re on the Frontline dealing with a complex enquiry, query or complaint, that we ought to take heed of this psychological FACT.
To quote the brilliant Maya Angelou, “people will forget what you say, they’ll forget what you do (even if you are a real GEM and Go the Extra Mile) although they will NEVER forget how you make them FEEL.”
If YOU are leading a Frontline and want to discover ways to make YOUR customers FEEL good to be engaging with your Brand Ambassadors (especially if or when they feel the need to talk to a REAL person, rather than a robot) then book your no-obligation call here: https://calendly.com/firstimpressiontraining
And let us help YOU feel good, knowing you’re helping your customers FEEL GOOD too.
Create The Feel Good Factor & Let’s Get FIT! 💪
