Are social networks -- continuous partial friendship? read Linda Stone on Continuous Partial Attention

Linda Stone has some good thoughts and timely warning messages on this topic, here. Linda also blogs at the Huffington Post.

Quote: "Continuous partial attention is an always on, anywhere, anytime, any place behavior that creates an artificial sense of crisis. To pay continuous partial attention is to pay partial attention -- CONTINUOUSLY. It is motivated by a desire to be a LIVE node on the network. Another way of saying this is that we want to connect and be connected. We want to effectively scan for opportunity and optimize for the best opportunities, activities, and contacts, in any given moment. To be busy, to be connected, is to be alive, to be recognized, and to matter.

We pay continuous partial attention in an effort NOT TO MISS ANYTHING. It is an always-on, anywhere, anytime, any place behavior that involves an artificial sense of constant crisis. We are always in high alert when we pay continuous partial attention. This artificial sense of constant crisis is more typical of continuous partial attention than it is of multi-tasking..."

Sounds familiar to us bloggers... right?

"More and more, many of us feel the "shadow side" of cpa -- over-stimulation and lack of fulfillment. The latest, greatest powerful technologies are now contributing to our feeling increasingly powerless. Researchers are beginning to tell us that we may actually be doing tasks more slowly and poorly... Our opportunity: remembering to find the OFF switch on our devices, now and then, and tune in to the present with engaged attention"