THE INFLUENCE OF MY TECH
- TELOS&today
- Feb 21
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 23
Season One | Post 2
As one who taught basic information about the nervous system and how integral it is to human thought, feeling, and behavior, I'm embarrassed to admit how much I've allowed my nervous system (and subsequently my thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and spirit) to be influenced by the technology I use everyday.
Nerd alert.
I am going to go down a rabbit hole in order to help myself remember how all these things - my nervous system, my habits of thinking, feeling, & behaving and my tech are all interconnected and in turn influence the formation of my spirit. I need to crawl down this hole and remember this information for my own benefit.
If you choose to go down this trajectory of thinking with me, you'll start to understand why there are so many short videos and repetitive practices embedded in this site. You'll also begin to understand why I am so focused on mindful, productive interaction with technology.
A request.
For any neuroscientists or psychologists or academics who might be reading this, please know ... I know I am grossly simplifying a lot of science. But since this site is not meant to be a college course and simply a space for facilitating an aim for living, I'm skipping over many things in order to remember what I think matters most. I'd ask that we not parse the lack of detail and instead focus on the big picture.
Into the rabbit hole I go.
I need to remember that:
The nervous system is designed to do many things, one of which is to help me survive by alerting me to danger.
This system also gifts me with the ability to learn from the past/experiences and forecast into the future.
This system helps me regulate my emotions and thoughtfully coordinate ways to respond.
Surprisingly, this system is impacted by those around me which invites me to acknowledge I am less individual than perhaps once thought.
These are just some of the beautiful gifts of my nervous system.
In addition, I need to remember that:
The ability to think, feel, and behave occurs because of the formation and utilization of neural networks running throughout my brain and body. A neural network is made up of millions of neurons (nerve cells) that are sending electrochemical messages back and forth between one another which kinda looks like this:
When neurons begin to communicate regularly with one another, a network or pathway starts to form. When a particular pathway is used time and time again, it becomes reinforced and 'stronger.' My brain will begin to naturally use this pathway as it morphs from a path to a paved road to a highway in my nervous system.
An example might help.
When I first got on a bike as a kid, my brain didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to balance or pedal or stop. Through repetition, my brain learned over time what it took to balance. My brain learned:
how to place one foot on a pedal and then push hard on that pedal while also pushing hard off the ground with my other foot before placing that second foot on its pedal. My brain learned how to steady the handle bars and shift my weight on the seat in order to balance. My brain learned quickly that if I pushed back on the pedals, I would stop the bike.
When I first started riding, thousands of neurons started sending messages to one another so I could think and behave in ways that would help me ride this bike. I had to focus hard on what I was learning. That focus helped me continue to send messages from particular neurons to particular neurons. Eventually, neural networks formed because the same neurons were communicating with one another time and time again.
One day, many weeks later, I found I didn't need to focus so hard on pushing the pedals or steadying the handlebars. My brain, due to repetition and frequent use, was now sending electrochemical messages along 'strong' neural networks so I could effortlessly ride the bike. In fact, months later, I found that my brain could focus on other things while I was riding because it no longer needed to focus on the mechanics of riding a bike. I had formed neural networks that now were habits which allowed me to 'mindlessly' ride the bike.
The gift and the curse of 'mindless' neural networks
Without the development, reinforcement, and utilization of these neural networks/pathways, life would be very hard. My brain would be working overtime just keeping the basics of life going:
wake up (and don't forget to breathe)
get out of bed (and breathe) by swinging your legs over side of bed (and breathe)
push yourself to a seated position (and breathe)
walk to bathroom by putting one foot in front of the other (breathe along the way).
You get the point.
The brain works best when some of the basics of life become HABITS.
Repetition forms habits. This is the most simple explanation as to how habits are formed (there's more to this but again, this is not a class). When something is truly a habit, you have done it so many times you don't need to think about it. One could say, it 'mindlessly' happens. Humans get to this point when their neural networks are firing on their own without a conscious command to do so. And this is a gift because it frees our brains to focus on other things.
And it is also a curse.
I wish that neural networks had an embedded moral compass, a filter that would send off an alarm signal to the brain that says:
"Wait! Are you sure you want to be thinking, feeling, or doing this over and over again?! Pretty soon, this is going to be a habit. And when this becomes a habit, you will mindlessly think this, feel this, do this. Just checking in... do you want this neural network to form?"
Technically speaking, the nervous system doesn't come with this filter preloaded. This means, that left unchecked, my nervous system will create neural networks based on whatever it repeatedly engages.
And there's the curse ... as well as ... the connection to technology.
The subtle (and aggressive) influence of technology
I'm going to keep coming back to something we all know:
We all know that our technology feeds us what it thinks we want to see, read, watch, listen to. With one click, our technology knows we are now curious about... hmmmm...bird feeders. And before we know it, our computers and phones are inundated with links to sites that will teach us everything we want to know about bird feeders. Even more surprising (alarming?) is when my tech hears me talking about bird feeders and magically the latest sale on bird feeders at Home Depot appears on my phone. yeah. that's awesome.
When my tech provides me with options and I click on something that is provided, I effectively say "Thanks! Can you give me more?" And my tech answers the call.
Over time, my tech says to me "What about this? Do you want this?" And if days pass, my tech might say "Hey, don't forget! You wanted this before, why don't you check this out again?!" And if I click what is provided, my tech learns: give her more.
And here is where I wish my nervous system came with a filter and a moral compass and would scream at me "WAIT! Are you sure you want to see, read, watch, listen to this again?! This is becoming repetitive. Pretty soon this is going to become habitual. Eventually, you will mindlessly engage this. Is this what you want? Do you want this shaping the development of your neural networks? Do you want this shaping your thoughts, feelings and ultimately the way you live?"
Since my nervous system didn't come with a filter and compass and warning system, I need to wake up and provide one.
The connection to my spirituality
I come from a faith tradition that believes we can and should tap into wisdom so that we have a filter and compass for living. This same tradition also believes there is an energy that is infused in and throughout all that has been created that I can tune into and attune to that will guide me if only I would listen and follow the prompting of what we call 'the spirit.'
Listening to wisdom and the spirit provides the filter and compass my nervous system needs. More on this in a future post.
Landing the plane (my way of saying, I'm wrapping this up)
One reason I've built this site and the activities within it is to help me thoughtfully use the technology at my disposal to influence my nervous system. I'd like certain neural networks to be strengthened through repetitive use so that I 'mindlessly' live wisdom, contribute to the common good, and embody love.
However, before I can 'mindlessly' (effortlessly) live this TELOS day after day, I need to become aware of my tech and the content it is feeding me. Pausing to reflect and consider how my technologies are influencing my thoughts, feelings, and behaviors could help me understand why I am or am not living wisdom, contributing to the common good, and embodying love today.
Baked into the 40 DAYS guided experience is an exercise called Audit your Tech. If you are feeling the need to become more aware of your technology and how it is influencing your formation, consider if the 40 DAYS guided experience might be useful for your journey.
Until next time....