How I'm an Outlier to the "Stolen Focus" Issue That Affects so many
Ironically, I have to focus and read the book Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention-- and How to Think Deeply Again, where the subject matter is talking about the loss of focus in humans as a species. As I read the introduction and saw why the author, Johann Hari, made this book with research, I noticed a line that tipped me off. He mentions that research was done to see how much American college students focus on one task at a time, and the study showed on average…
“Students would switch tasks once every 65 seconds, and the time spent focusing on one subject was just 19 seconds”
How I reacted to the book
Once I read that passage from the book, I put it down for 5 minutes and told myself, "I don't think I have ever had focus issues before. This doesn't apply to me." I know the study is talking about the general population of American college students at large, but I do not fit that description. I have never had a cell phone AT ALL for most of my life. I only got my first cell phone during my sophomore year of high school, and I couldn't care less about social media. I only have YouTube, Facebook for interacting with family members, and Instagram for a professional design profile. I don't want any of the other ones because I do not want to involve myself with them.
How I became an Outlier
The study itself does not apply to me because of how I was raised and who I am now. I was raised in a home where the best technology were DVDs, VHS tapes (yes, my family has plenty of those still, and I know how to play them), the TV, and the family computer. I did not get my first iPad until my first year of high school, and like I said earlier, my phone came after that. So, I found myself focusing a lot on drawing and art. Being a creative thinker in art requires an immense amount of focus. I never saw myself distracted that much, except by my autistic younger brother (who still drives me up a wall sometimes). I grew up in an environment where focusing on one thing at a time and becoming a creative problem-solver gave me all the focus I'll ever need.
I won't say I was never influenced by my peers or trends online, but I never took it to the extreme that I could no longer focus like I used to. I relax when I can and do my hobbies whenever I have the time (drawing, playing video games, watching anime, and reading, believe it or not). I would never be where I am today if not for the friends I made along the way who made me feel welcome and pushed me to become a Graphic Design major, a line of work that requires focus on the little aesthetic choices made in design.
Hello, I am Joseph Crickmore.
But you can call me Joey. I love art and design, and anything else that can be created with my own hands. I have a younger brother who has an autistic disorder, so I always show my support on World Autism Awareness Day.
I myself am a designer, content creator, and freelance artist for commissions.
