SUR-FAKE (Paris, 2015) by Antoine Geiger
Many of us are guilty of scrolling ourselves to sleep, checking dozens of apps for new notifications first thing in the morning, swiping through newsfeeds in any dull moment or even at the dinner table. But what effect is our device addiction having on our relationships, workplace, mental health and creativity?
A 2012 brain scan study found that internet addiction disorder might cause similar white matter changes to the brain as alcohol and drugs, disrupting our sleep, relationships, social interactions, and emotions, as well as our decision-making skills and self-control.
When our ideas and thinking are our livelihood as creatives, such addiction is worrying. As someone who doesn’t drink or do drugs, artist, writer and filmmaker Miranda July said she feels ‘sort of annoyed’ by the addictive nature of our phones.
‘That bums me out especially because my whole deal is trying to figure how to be okay with not knowing, with being a little bit lost,’ she said during Lost Child presented by The Wheeler Centre in partnership with ACMI.
‘All those little moments when you are like, “Uh, what do I do next? Who am I?” – you now look at your phone and refresh, refresh. It is a big problem for me, it is like someone just took away the livelihood, so I have to work really, really hard to protect this thing.
Read more: Life lessons from Miranda July
