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You know that raw overwhelm people have been reporting after months of a pandemic, compounded by economic issues and social unrest? Does fatigue and compulsive social media scrolling strike a familiar chord?
Those brittle feelings offer us a glimpse into what regular life can be like for individuals with sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), a biological trait possessed by roughly a third of the population. In a world of constant information overload and stress, it's a characteristic that can result in a variety of behaviors, from emotional outbursts to withdrawal, overwhelm and procrastination.
"Behaviorally, we observe it as being more careful and cautious when approaching new things," said Bianca Acevedo, a researcher in UC Santa Barbara's Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences. "You might see this behavior anywhere, from fruit flies to humans." In a new situation, those with the trait are more likely to hang back and see what happens, she explained.