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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1296256
BCBUSINESS.CA SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 BCBUSINESS 37 and alcohol, but warning of the addictive properties of various digital experiences) to "digital hygiene" practices: teaching people, especially at a young age, how to "mind- fully use digital experiences in a healthy and balanced way." But one of the biggest problems, admits Leyland almost a year after the paper was published, is that in the age of COVID, it's now virtually impossible to counsel anybody to disconnect—especially when our overarching aim is to remain socially distant. "Most parents, good parents, were restricting the time kids could spend on digital devices before this, says Pitt, who teaches marketing (now via Zoom) at SFU's Segal Graduate School of Business. "Now you're actually saying you have to go on a digital device to do your schoolwork. And then, of course, you have parents working from home, looking after young kids at home," he adds. "What's the easiest way to stop the kid from distracting you while you're trying to do some work? It's to say, Hey, here's your iPad—go and play some games. I think we're going to end up with a generation of kids saying there is no other way to interact with the world than through some kind of digital device." Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Pediatrics Society ( CPS) have recently made a case for kids return- ing to school this fall—in part because of the serious con- sequences that technological immersion (and the resulting isolation) is having on kids' mental health and social development. "Policy and practice should reflect the fact that children and youth have very different needs from those of adults," wrote the CPS in a letter to Canada's provincial and ter- ritorial ministries of education in late June. "A safe return to school, guided by evidence- based policy that meets the unique physical, social, emotional and developmental needs of children and youth, is essential." While it's harder to change the consumption habits of adults, the fallout from increasing reliance on digital experiences is no less severe the older we get. What used to keep many of us in check— knowing when to step away from the screen and interact with people face-to-face—was the social aspect of our col- lective work experience. In the office, we had those stolen moments when we discon- nected from technology: idle chatter at the watercooler, lunchtime strolls in search of a sushi joint, after-work drinks with colleagues. Now we're "on" all the time—checking emails, attending Zoom meetings, responding to pings from Slack. And according to recent research, it's ruining what remained of any work-life balance. In a June survey by U.K. health-care charity Nuffield Health, 80 percent of Brits said that working from home has negatively affected their mental health. "Not being in the physical presence of colleagues means many people feel unable to take a break and step away from their workstations," write the report's authors, "with over a third (36%) of home workers feeling as though they always have to be at their computer to respond quickly." Cissy Pau, principal of Vancouver-based Clear HR Consulting, has been working with small- to medium-sized employers on their human resources needs for over 20 years. As Pau sees it, a lot of the negative effects of work- ing from home come from management's failure to adjust expectations around what defines worker "success." "I think we're going to need to move away from the 'time- in' perspective—where, if I see a person sitting at their desk at 8:55 and then they leave at five o'clock, then I know they've been to work and I'm happy." Pau expresses concern that many employers, post- COVID, are trying to recreate this world in a remote-work relationship. "I had a conversation recently with someone who said, What if we use this time- tracking technology, so we know when they're there and we know when they're not?" she recalls. "I said, You need to FAIR GAME While there are undeniable deleterious effects of being glued to a screen, there's also evidence that some digital activities— like playing video games—can help people, especially youth, to cope in stressful times. Gamers (those playing six-plus hours a week) identify the activity as a key way to build friendships in a socially distanced time, according to a recent survey by Vancouver-based market researchers Reach3 Insights. said gaming is "an escape from the current COVID situation" said "video games make things feel more 'normal' in this time" agreed that gaming is a "great way to hang out with others" feel like being part of a larger community when they game A S K A L E A D E R LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT LEADERSHIP QUALITIES WILL BE MOST IN DEMAND? In a crisis, true leadership is service leadership. Leadership that asks, how can I be of service to others –to our teams, our customers, our industry, our government and our fellow citizens? When times are tough, we need leaders we trust, who stay positive and grounded in reality but are determined to build a better future. – JILL TIPPING, president and CEO, BC Tech Association 95% 90% 82% 73%