Beware the digital disconnect, for our humanity is at stake
There are few people who could honestly say they’re not addicted to their digital devices. How often do you see groups of people out to dinner, checking their smartphones rather than interacting with the people they’ve made the effort to meet up with? This is just one symptom of what we call the ‘digital disconnect’ – the diminishing of emotional awareness and connections that emerges when people interact more with devices than directly with each other.
We’re starting to see the ramifications of this disconnect play out in the workplace, whether it’s in meetings where attendees pay more attention to their phones than the humans they’re with; teams of remote workers who rarely speak on the phone, let alone meet in person; or the leaders who favour ‘efficient’ digital messaging over in-person connections. The end result could be damaged cultures, morale and profitability.
When you’re presenting in front of a large audience, and can see their facial expressions – whether their brows are furrowed in concentration, or they are talking to their neighbours – it’s easy to tell that they aren’t following what’s been said. But when people are using devices in the same setting, it’s hard to tell if they are engaged or not. They might well be – they could be taking notes or Googling for more information – but the presenter can easily take their actions as a sign of disinterest. And how does the presenter feel? That they’re not valued, and that the audience doesn’t care.
Leaders need to be wary of the digital disconnect, too. Someone who is detached emotionally from their team, and gives little verbal or facial recognition that they are listening to ideas, will suffer from a lack of morale. That will lead to a lack of psychological investment in the organisation, an unwillingness to contribute fully and, in extreme cases, staff attrition or even aggressive behaviour.
Fortunately, there are ways we can mitigate the digital disconnect. Awareness is the first step; often we use digital communication because we’re task-oriented, and it’s quick, easy and efficient. But it’s not ultimately going to be efficient in the long term, so it’s worth seeking out different modes of communication, and picking up the phone – or arranging a face-to-face catch up – from time to time.
Leaders who have a very disconnected style, or a lack of understanding of social niceties, can – in the wrong environment – be extremely problematic. It’s up to HR to ensure that the right people are being hired into these top positions.
Although unsuitable candidates may be able to hide some of their ‘disconnected’ characteristics during an interview, it’s worth considering asking the candidate to consent to the interview being videoed, and having a psychological consultant review it to pick up on the clues the candidate wasn’t able to mask.
While few organisations will want to go so far as banning digital communications, such an action could be an effective way to get employees and leaders thinking about how they relate to one another. If we’re all focused on communicating efficiently rather than connecting with each other, we risk losing the most profound dimension of what it means to be human.
Shoba Sreenivasan, PhD, and Linda E Weinberger, PhD, are both clinical psychologists at Keck School of Medicine of USC in California. Their latest book is Psychological Nutrition.