Stolen Focus: Why you can't pay attention and how to think deeply again
This was a really amazing book that covered a lot of struggles unique to our generations.
The switch cost effect
A study by professor Michael Posner at the University of Oregon found that if you are focusing on something and you get interrupted, on average it will take twenty-three minutes for you to get back to the same state of focus. A different study of office workers in the US found most of them never get an hour of uninterrupted work in a day.
All evidence suggests that, if you spend your time frequently switching tasks, you will be slower, make more mistakes, be less creative, and remember less of what you do.
BF Skinner and Pigeons
BF Skinner found that you could basically use clever reinforcement to get pigeons to behave any way you like. Here, Johann Hari argues that silicon valley companies use similar techniques to coerce profitable behavior out of humans. This includes producing products that keep us from getting a full 8 hours of sleep - because if you are asleep there is no chance that you are spending money.
Social media reinforces some sketchy ideas - example: What matters most is whether people immediately agree with and applaud your short, simple, speedy statements. Somebody is your friend if you regularly look at their edited highlight reels and they look at yours - this is what friendship means.
Product design courses at Stanford and beyond teach techniques for getting users "hooked" on these products that they were fine without. This reminds me of a quote from Hbomberguy's video on woke brands -> "We're gunna gitcha"
Mindfulness
Many tech companies advocate for mindfulness in the workplace with yoga/meditation workshops while simultaneously producing products that perpetrate non-mindfulness in the world.
Nutrition
Eating crappy diets causes blood sugar inconsistency and poor gut biome development, both of which are proven to have major impacts on an individuals ability to focus.
In the words of Dale Pinnock:
Stop feeding them fucking Coke for breakfast and a bowl of sugar and milk
Summary
I thought the whole book was summed up pretty well by James Williams' (ex-google strategist) three layers of attention.
Spotlight: "Immediate actions", like what you are currently doing. This is what get's disturbed by the switch-cost effect.
Starlight: "Long term projects over time". This attention is what gets you through school or other long term goals. If you get distracted here, you will not accomplish your long term goals because you will not be able to prioritize.
Daylight: "Knowledge of why you have chosen any goals or immediate actions". How do you know you want to write a book? How do you know you want to start a business? If you get distracted at this level you may not even be able to figure out who you are, what you want to do, or where you want to go.