Stolen Focus
This fast-paced, tech-driven world has created a distraction epidemic. So when our resident book reviewer, Michelle Flanagan, suggested Johann Hari’s best-selling book Stolen Focus, Dawn couldn’t wait to dive into the conversation on the START WELL® podcast.
Whoever you are, and whatever you do, you’ve probably been affected by the pervasive creep of technology into every area of your life – and the way minutes, hours and days can simply… disappear.
“Staying focused is a huge thing – and probably even more so for the younger generation. Technology brings so many elements and fragments our lives into different areas,” Michelle says of why she chose the book.
But as Dawn says, this conversation is especially important when it comes to kids, because it means acknowledging that we’re asking them to concentrate in a world that’s been deliberately set up to steal their focus.
Why attention spans are shrinking – and what it means for society
The book contains statistics that Dawn and Michelle found extremely confronting, and which forced them to look at their own habits and ability to focus.
Two of the most shocking? Adults only stay on a task for three minutes in an office environment, and even a top CEO at a Fortune 500 company only spends 28 minutes of their day fully focused.
“It’s a book about how we as humans are distracted by technology. The impact it has on our lives – and our ability to get creative. It steals time – which means you don’t get to focus on other elements that are good for you,” Michelle explains.
It’s not you, it’s Big Tech
If technology is distracting us and impacting our flow, then isn’t the solution to stay away from it?
But as Dawn acknowledges, it’s not that simple. As much as we try, this distraction crisis is the result of tech companies deliberately designing software to steal our attention.
“You can’t hide from the things that create the distraction. The big companies are building these things to distract you, and the longer you stay, the more money they will generate through advertising,” she says.
The impact on young people
So what does this mean for young people, with their still-developing brains?
Every minute spent using technology – whether that’s scrolling, using Snapchat, shopping or something else – is time where they’re not out in nature, socialising with friends, learning about something they’re truly interested in, or developing the skills they’ll need in later life.
“As financial advisers, we know that time is one of our most valuable commodities. We need to explain to young people that if they spend a lot of time scrolling, gaming, consuming – if you add that up, every day, it’s crazy. Imagine what else they could achieve with that time, not to mention the potential mental health impacts,” Michelle says.
Listen to the episode for the full conversation, including the importance of getting into a flow state, the challenges of screentime for children and teens, and how a lack of focus can impact healthy diet, exercise and sleep habits.
Listen to the episode here.
P.S. Read about our recent podcast featuring Jessica Brady and her book Get Growing here.