Okay, so have you ever like sat down to work on something you've been putting off? Oh, yeah, you know, you've got your coffee. Maybe your music's going and then total boom your phone just explodes With notifications and you're just like instantly distracted. I know exactly what you mean It's like we're all struggling with this these days and it's really what Johan Hari's books stolen focus is all about.
Ah Stolen focus. Yeah, I've heard so much about that book It's such a popular book and it deserves to be it's got over 54,000 ratings on Goodreads and an average of 4.24 stars, which is really impressive. Wow, that's incredible And that's why we wanted to break it down for you here on book bites and give you all the key insights So you don't even have to read it.
Yeah save you some time. Yeah, exactly so the book jumps right into this crazy statistic that back in 1986 people were dealing with something like 40 newspapers worth of information every single day. It does sound like a lot already.
It does right even imagine but it gets worse Yeah, so by 2007 that number had exploded to a hundred and seventy four newspapers worth of data each day Oh my god, no wonder we can't focus. That's like we're drowning in information. Yeah, it's no surprise.
We're all feeling overwhelmed Yeah, I can barely keep up with my email inbox let alone 174 newspapers, right? But Harry goes beyond just the information overload though, right? He actually says this isn't by accident. It's actually by design. That's right He gets into how these tech companies are deliberately designing their products to keep us hooked to our screens Like have you heard of the infinite scroll? Oh, yeah.
Are you kidding? The infinite scroll is like my biggest weakness I know me too you just keep scrolling and scrolling and you don't even realize how much time has passed like they've figured out how to hack my Brain and they kind of have they've tapped into these powerful psychological Mechanisms using things like variable rewards to make their platforms as addictive as possible Variable rewards. So it's those unpredictable notifications that keep us coming back for more You know, like when you get a like or a comment on social media and you get that little dopamine hit Oh, yeah, I totally get that. It's like a slot machine for your attention.
Exactly. It's designed to keep you hooked But how do they know what keeps me hooked though? That's where things get even creepier Hurry talks about surveillance capitalism, which is the idea that these tech companies are collecting tons of data about our online behavior Okay, so they're like spying on us in a way Yes Everything from what we click on to how long we spend on a page They're tracking it all and then they use this data to like target us with ads and content exactly. They use it to create these Incredibly detailed psychological profiles of us and then they use that information to manipulate us with content That's designed to keep us engaged often playing on our anxieties insecurities or desires Wow I never thought of it that way.
That's kind of scary It is a bit isn't it? But it's not just the tech though, right? Hurry also blames things like stress sleep and even our diet for shrinking attention spans He does and this is where I think the book is really strong It brings in these factors we might not think about and shows how they're all connected like for example chronic stress Oh, yeah stress is the worst it is and when we're stressed our brains are in a state of constant alertness Making it hard to focus on anything else that makes sense when I'm stressed It's like my brain is going a mile a minute and I can't focus on anything exactly and then there's lack of sleep Which so many of us struggle with don't tell me about it I feel like I'm always tired right and when we're sleep-deprived our cognitive abilities really suffer Yeah, if I don't get enough sleep, I'm basically useless the next day I feel that and you know sleep deprivation actually shrinks the prefrontal cortex The part of our brain responsible for focus. Oh, wait, seriously seriously, so we're not just tired We're literally less capable of concentrating. That's crazy I knew sleep was important, but I didn't realize it was that important it is and it's not just sleep either Her even talks about how things like processed foods can affect our focus really how so well the sugar and additives in processed foods Can cause these wild swings in our blood sugar levels making it hard to maintain a steady level of focus So like it's like trying to work on a laptop with a dying battery.
Exactly. You need that steady energy to stay focused So we've got information overload addictive technology stress lack of sleep and a bad diet all working against us It's a lot right feels like a losing battle. It can feel that way, but don't worry Hurry doesn't just leave us with doom and gloom He also explores some potential solutions both individual and societal that we'll talk about later Okay good because at this point I'm ready to like throw my phone in the ocean and go live in a cave I hear you But trust me there are things we can do to reclaim our focus and fight back against this attention crisis And that's what we'll be discussing next time on book bites, right? So, you know, it can feel overwhelming right like all these things working against our focus Yeah, but luckily hurry doesn't just leave us there hanging Okay, good.
He actually offers some solutions in stolen focus. Ah, okay solutions. I like the sound of that Yeah, me too.
And he starts by actually challenging the idea that mind-wandering is a bad thing. Wait, really mind-wandering I always feel guilty about that. Like I should be focusing harder I know right like we're supposed to be laser focused all the time, right? Exactly, but actually those daydreams are your brain doing important work.
Oh interesting Yeah, Hari says that mind-wandering is super important for coming up with creative solutions to problems and for planning for the future Wow, so all those times I'm just spacing out my brains actually working it is it's making new connections and coming up with new ideas Oh, that's fascinating. I always thought daydreaming was just me being lazy. Nope.
It's your brain being awesome But here's the thing when we're constantly bombarded with stuff from our devices we miss out on those benefits So like all those notifications and stuff are actually preventing us from having those creative breakthroughs Exactly. We need to give our brains a break from all the input, you know, okay So, how do we encourage more mind-wandering well Hari suggests spending time in nature going for walks without your phone Even just carving out some time for quiet reflection. So like giving our brains a chance to just wander Exactly.
That makes sense. And this actually leads to another interesting point that Hari brings up the decline of reading these days Oh, yeah, he talks about how so many people don't read books anymore, right? 57% of Americans didn't read a single book in a year Well, that's kind of sad it is and Hari says that deep reading the kind where you get totally lost in a book is really Important for developing empathy and for engaging with complex ideas. I miss that feeling of getting lost in a book I know me too.
It's like you entered a different world and you see things from a different perspective Exactly and you don't get that from scrolling through social media. Nope. It's a totally different experience.
So we should all be reading more books Hari definitely thinks so he talks about how important it is to make time for reading and to create a quiet space without distractions Yeah, I need to make that a priority again me too It's so easy to get caught up in everything else going on it is but it's so worth it Totally and you know hurry doesn't just focus on individual solutions He also talks about the need for bigger societal changes, right? Because it's not just about us changing our individual habits. Mm-hmm. There are bigger forces at play here exactly He talks about needing an attention rebellion an attention rebellion.
What's that? It's this idea that we need to push for stricter regulations on tech companies to rein in their manipulative practices Like those addicted design features we talked about. Oh, yeah, like the infamous scroll and the notifications exactly He even suggests taxing these companies based on how much attention they extract from us Wow Taxing attention. That's interesting.
Yeah, it's a pretty radical idea It is but I kind of like it me too And he also talks about needing workplace reforms that prioritize deep work and discourage being connected all the time. Yeah, like maybe having Limits on email after work hours exactly or encouraging more face-to-face interactions, right creating spaces where people can actually focus exactly It's about recognizing that we're humans not machines, you know, we need time to rest and recharge We do and Harry's attention rebellion is really about creating a world. That's more aligned with our human needs I love that idea.
But is that even possible? I mean, it feels like we're so stuck in this culture of distraction It's a big challenge for sure, but hurry believes that change is possible So what can we do to contribute to this attention rebellion? Well, there are a lot of things we can do like supporting organizations fighting for tech reform Talking to our friends and family about these issues and just being more mindful of our own attention So it's about both individual and collective action exactly It's about making changes in our own lives and advocating for changes in the world around us. That's empowering Yeah feels good to know that we're not just helpless victims here. Absolutely.
We have more power than we think So, you know something else that I thought was really interesting in the book is how Hari connects this whole attention crisis To kids and how they play these days. Oh, yeah, definitely. It's easy to forget about that aspect, but it's so important Yeah, he was talking about how play is like actually crucial for how kids develop.
Yeah, it's not just about having fun It's how they learn how to be creative and solve problems and figure out how to like interact with other people, right? It's like they're learning all these essential life skills through playing exactly and you know when kids play they're Experimenting taking risks and just you know figuring things out on their own. It's like a training ground for life like you said Yeah, but the problem is Kids aren't really playing like they used to right? Yeah Hari calls it a play deficit and it's this idea that kids these days are just Way too over scheduled with structured activities and screen time and they're missing out on all those benefits of unstructured play that we were just Talking about. Yeah, exactly and it's not just kids who need play adults need it, too.
Oh totally I know when I make time for things I enjoy whether it's like playing music or hiking or just hanging out with friends I feel so much better, right? It's like it replenishes us and helps us connect with that sense of joy and wonder that we all need Yeah, and Hari makes the point that play isn't just about like goofing off or whatever It's about connecting with our natural curiosity and you know that desire to explore and try new things Yeah, and just to be spontaneous and have fun, right? It's like we're so focused on being productive all the time that we forget how important it is to just let loose and play Exactly, and I think that's one of the biggest takeaways from stolen focus that we need to reclaim play as a vital part of our lives Both for our own well-being and for society as a whole. Yeah, it's a powerful message Yeah, and it really made me think about how I spend my time and what I prioritize. Yeah me, too It's easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and forget about those things that bring us joy make us feel alive Well, I think there's been a really insightful conversation And I definitely learned a lot about the attention crisis and what we could do about it Me too Stolen focus is a really thought-provoking book and it raises some important questions about our relationship with technology and the kind of world We want to live in yeah, and if you're feeling overwhelmed by all the distractions out there I highly recommend checking it out.
It might just change the way you think about attention and the choices you make in your daily life So that wraps up our look at Johan Hari's Stolen focus and if you enjoyed this episode and you want to hear more bite-sized insights from other groundbreaking books Be sure to subscribe to book bites and don't forget to leave us a five-star review If you like the episode it helps other listeners find the show and join us on this journey of exploring big ideas Thanks for listening