Prolific Distraction

   Does social media stifle our potentials?
   I visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Most patrons concentrated on the exhibits. But in almost every gallery someone stood apart, peering into a smartphone.
   One man, seen in the photo, fixated for several minutes over his phone. He was mesmerized by the screen in his hand, not by the canvases on the walls.
   Obsession with social media and internet is dumbing people down. Instead of pursuing their talents to the fullest, they're gazing like zombies into screens. Even if they succeed in life, they won't reach their potentials. 
   That assertion might sound far fetched but I'm convinced it's true.
   Achievement requires concentration. The more we expose ourselves to distractions like social media, the less focused we become. Less focus means less concentration. Less concentration means less achievement.
   One artist featured at the museum was John Singer Sargent. He was prolific, creating several thousand works of art. He did it one hundred years ago. Before television. Before the internet. Before social media.
    Would Sargent have been that prolific today? Possibly not. Online distractions would intrude into his time and creativity.
   Self discipline enables people to reach their potentials. Ridding oneself of a smart phone is an act of self discipline.