In Psalm 46:10, the scripture says, "Be still and know that I am God." In Hebrew the phrase "be still" means to stop, surrender, and to desist. It can also be translated as cease-fire, or "put down your weapons."
We live in a time in the world where we find ourselves busier than we have ever been. Technological advances are literally changing the world that we live in every day. Research shows that if we are not careful, the technology can have a negative effect on our brains. Anhedonia is the inability to feel pleasure, or losing the inability to achieve pleasure through certain activities. In medical terms, this basically means that one can lose the ability to enjoy the happiness in things.
Anhedonia can be developed over time through a swelling in the brain. With the advances in technology we have now have the world at our fingertips. Smartphones, tablets, and notebook computers have all revolutionized the way we receive information. They have also revolutionized the way that we socialize and interact with one another.
Social Anhedonia has come about partly due to the technology that exists today. Instead making plans to meet with family and friends face-to-face, we often communicate via social media, text messaging and instant messaging applications. Through technology, what previously would create a certain level of excitement has been dulled due to our constant connectivity. We no longer plan out conversations, topics, stories to share, jokes to tell, etc. for our meet-ups with loved ones. Instead, we have overstimulated ourselves by sharing information all day, everyday. When we actually meet, that excitement or the dopamine (the chemical metabolic compound that helps us feel pleasure) has already worn off. In other words, we've overstimulated ourselves to the point of being immune to pleasure.
