{"id":11743,"date":"2023-02-03T15:13:33","date_gmt":"2023-02-03T21:13:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.library.depaul.press\/full-text\/?p=11743"},"modified":"2023-02-03T15:13:33","modified_gmt":"2023-02-03T21:13:33","slug":"unwind-the-mind-with-stolen-focus-featured-title-for-february","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.library.depaul.press\/full-text\/2023\/02\/03\/unwind-the-mind-with-stolen-focus-featured-title-for-february\/","title":{"rendered":"Unwind the Mind with Stolen Focus, Featured Title for February"},"content":{"rendered":"

In his most recent book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can\u2019t Pay Attention \u2013 and How to Think Deeply Again<\/a>, New York Times<\/em> best-selling author, Johann Hari, presents an engaging book detailing the reasons so many of us are constantly distracted during our daily life.\u00a0 He discusses the myth of multitasking, and the switch cost effect, which demonstrates both time costs and psychological costs inherent in being constantly interrupted. On average, it takes 23 minutes to re-focus on the original task at hand.<\/p>\n

\"Stolen<\/a>While he does provide some tips to help us maintain focus, he ultimately believes that structural changes need to be made to the technology that surrounds us. Social media companies profit from our constant engagement; the more we scroll and the more time we spend online, the more money they make. Without addressing this fundamental problem that rewards technology giants for stealing our attention, there\u2019s only so much as individuals that we can do. In one interview, he likens it to living in a world where we are constantly being sprinkled with itching powder, and then being advised to try meditating to stop scratching. While meditating might help, ultimately we need to make the itching powder go away.<\/p>\n

Find interviews with the author and reviews of the book:<\/p>\n