Stolen Focus?
How to Steal Back Our Focus and Improve Life
Photo by Abyan Athif on Unsplash
As the patriarch of our family here in Arizona, I love hosting the growing Jones Clan of Scottsdale to be with my wife and me when we have dinner on many Sunday nights. We're a close-knit family who loves to be together, and I've noticed how hard it can be to compete for our children's attention.
One son, in particular, seems to suffer the most from the topic of this article; stolen focus. For example, when he's with us, he's constantly looking at his smartphone, which means he's not fully present with the rest of the family. I'm not judging him as much as I observe the price he pays when he's with us and not. He's among the billions of us who are less than intentional when protecting the power to focus on one thing.
When We Feel the Suck
I, too, feel the suck of social media, the internet, and Youtube. However, when I stopped drinking booze many years ago, I intentionally nuked the cable TV subscription and tuned out all commercial radio, news, sports, and anything with commercials. I became more prayerful and intentional about meditation, mindful walks, reading quality books, and eating healthy foods. As a result, my life has changed dramatically. I’m less anxious and more present than ever before. I experience serenity even when I witness most hell on earth.
I did this because I wanted to feel better, sleep better, and be less emotionally reactionary to the seeming insanity around us. I know how the Madmen machine works on Madison Avenue as a recovering sales copywriter with a long direct sales and marketing career. In short, for-profit companies have one objective when spending money on copy, ads, and marketing; to hijack our attention and get us to buy more stuff most of us could never fit into our garage or rented storage space.
Our minds constantly battle for attention in an age characterized by relentless connectivity and a ceaseless flood of information. The rise of digital technology has undeniably reshaped how we interact with the world and ourselves. But at what cost?
Modern technology's impact on human focus is profound and perplexing, from the smartphones in our pockets to the numerous social media platforms competing for our time. Authors and scholars like Nicholas Carr ("The Shallows") and Cal Newport ("Deep Work") have ventured into these uncharted territories, examining how our devices might be reconfiguring our cognitive processes.
Simultaneously, many scientific studies reveal alarming findings, pointing to a correlation between increased digital media use and cognitive decline. The question looms large: Have we willingly handed over our focus to the technology we use?
Stolen Focus Is a Wonderful Book
"Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention — and How to Think Deeply Again" by Johann Hari delves into the growing problem of attention and focus deficit in modern society.
"Stolen Focus" delves into this critical juncture of our time, exploring the complex dynamics between the internet, social media, and our ability to concentrate. It uncovers the invisible ways our attention is fragmented, leading to a crisis in our ability to think deeply and reflectively.
The path to reclaiming our focus lies ahead, but the journey requires us to engage with our digital lives critically, understand what's at stake, and find ways to reintegrate presence, stillness, and meaning. Welcome to exploring a silent theft that affects us all — the theft of our focus.
How Our Focus Got Hijacked
The "Stolen Focus" central thesis stems from the fact that attention and focus have become increasingly scarce commodities in the era of smartphones, social media, and a never-ending onslaught of distractions. This scarcity is not simply an unintended consequence of technological advancement but appears almost intentional.
Modern-day technologists, driven by profit motives, have seemingly engineered our devices to hijack our focus, forcing us into a state of "continuous partial attention" (Source: L. Stone, "Continuous Partial Attention," lindastone.net). The ramifications of this technological takeover are both broad and deep.
Neurological changes provide tangible evidence of this shift. Constant exposure to digital devices is not just changing how we think; it's altering the very structure of our brains, affecting areas responsible for focus and deep thinking (Source: D. L. Strayer et al., "Cognitive Distraction while Multitasking," Journal of Experimental Psychology).
Meanwhile, economic factors exert pressure to multitask and be constantly available, leading to stress and attention fragmentation. The modern workplace is a battleground for our attention, and the demands often exceed our cognitive capacities (Source: E. W. Demerouti et al., "The psychology of job demands and stressors," Work & Stress Journal).
Becoming Part of the Solution
If you're sick and tired of having your focus hijacked by social media and technology, understanding the underlying scientific findings that explain this phenomenon is the first step towards reclaiming control.
"Stolen Focus" aims to guide this quest, illuminating the labyrinthine paths that have led us here and offering insight into navigating our way back to cognitive clarity and purposeful engagement with the world. It's a journey that requires courage, awareness, and a willingness to wrestle back control from the devices that threaten to define our existence.
If we want to solve any problem, we have to assess and understand the root cause. Hari outlines several drivers of the shift to steal our focus:
Technology Addiction: Hari discusses the concept of "continuous partial attention," where technology ensures that we are never fully engaged in any single task (Source: L. Stone, "Continuous Partial Attention," lindastone.net).
Neurological Changes: Neuroimaging studies have shown that constant exposure to digital devices alters the brain's structure, affecting areas responsible for focus and deep thinking (Source: D. L. Strayer et al., "Cognitive Distraction while Multitasking," Journal of Experimental Psychology).
Economic Factors: The pressure to multitask and be constantly available in the modern workplace leads to stress and attention fragmentation, a finding supported by organizational psychology research (Source: E. W. Demerouti et al., "The psychology of job demands and stressors," Work & Stress Journal).
Now that you know more about the root cause of our stolen focus, let's explore how to get it back.
A Biblical Interpretation of Stolen Focus
The Bible verse "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psalm 46:10, NIV) provides an anchor for reflection in a world swirling with distraction and noise. This verse is often interpreted as a profound call to surrender and recognize God's sovereignty in the biblical context. It's an encouragement to cease striving, quiet both mind and soul, and trust in wisdom and power beyond human understanding.
In the realm of metaphysics, this verse invites further contemplation. Contemplation can be a profound path to knowing more about the unknown. The command to "be still" speaks to a calmness that transcends the physical. It is a directive to detach from worldly distractions and concerns, akin to meditative states in many spiritual practices. Through stillness, one can connect with a deeper self and universal consciousness.
The declaration, "… know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" is more than an acknowledgment of divine supremacy. A metaphysical interpretation is a realization of interconnectedness and an understanding that the Divine or Universal Consciousness is within and part of the individual self.
The principles revealed to the willing among us in Psalm 46:10 offer a spiritual pathway to reclaim focus, presence, and awareness in a digitally-dominated world. By heeding this timeless wisdom, individuals may find an antidote to the fragmentation of attention caused by modern technology and the constant multitasking demands.
It's a message that resonates deeply with the human condition, guiding a journey toward reconnection with the essence of being and the profound wisdom that lies within stillness. In the context of "Stolen Focus," this verse illuminates a way to transcend the noise and distraction, aligning with a higher state of consciousness and purposeful engagement with the world.
Stealing Back Our Focus
Beyond what we can learn from the Bible and modern-day science, let's dive into Johann Hari's suggestions in his book. The book describes his personal experience while taking a vacation, sitting on a beach, and training himself to read a book. Here's what Johann Hari suggests for the rest of us:
Mindfulness Meditation: This age-old practice, backed by studies from Harvard Medical School, can help foster a more profound sense of focus and awareness (Source: S. Lazar et al., "Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness," NeuroReport).
Digital Detox: Periodically disconnecting from digital devices, as supported by the teachings of spiritual leaders like Thich Nhat Hanh, helps restore balance and presence (Source: Thich Nhat Hanh, "Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise").
Nature Connection: Engaging with nature, a principle rooted in various spiritual traditions, has been scientifically shown to reduce stress and improve focus (Source: R. Kaplan, "The nature of the view from home: Psychological benefits," Environment and Behavior).
Purposeful Work and Leisure: Embracing purposeful work and leisure activities can lead to a state of "flow," as described by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, fostering deep concentration and joy (Source: M. Csikszentmihalyi, "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience").
In conclusion, none of us need to be Biblical scholars, world-class authors, monks, or neuroscientists to steal our focus back. We must understand the problem and its costs and take intentional steps to retrain our minds and bodies to be more still and selective regarding our daily information and devices.
"Stolen Focus" offers a compelling argument that our ability to pay attention is being eroded by modern life, with scientific evidence supporting this claim. However, it also provides an inspiring roadmap for reclaiming focus, presence, and stillness through practical steps and time-tested spiritual practices.
By integrating these elements, we are guided towards a path of personal transformation, transcending the noise of the digital age to find joy and meaning. May more of us find serenity and joy now.