Our Ability to Focus is Dying

Rather than engaging, we're distracting

A few months ago, when Severance hype was in full swing, I was thrown into an all-Severance-all-the-time algorithm. While I didn't mind the content, generally speaking, I did stumble across one post that irked me. It mentioned this was the first show in a long time this person had watched without scrolling on their phone.

You might be thinking two things right now: "me too!" or "who uses their phone while watching TV?" I was in the second group. While this doesn't shock me, it brings a sad truth to the front of my mind—our ability to focus is dying.

I could go down the rabbit hole of how phones are the bane of our existence, ruining everything that is human. While there might be a semblance of truth in that statement, it's not the only reason. This problem is not new; it is just more obvious, due to our latest addiction being the glowing rectangle that is always within reach.

I am an early adopter of technology. In the '90s this was the computer, in the early 2000s it was the iPod and laptops, and since then it has been the smartphone and fitness devices. Regardless of the hot product, I have never felt the compulsion to lose focus on what is in front of me, just to use a tool that provides me fleeting dopamine. But I know that is not true of others.

I have spent time with friends—watching movies, playing video games, and eating meals—all while they grabbed their phone every few minutes. I'd go to the bathroom or step into another room, only to return to their tech neck at full tilt. I have even been on FaceTimes with people, just to have them watch TV in the background.

At this point, you might feel attacked or seen. I am not trying to do either. I am trying to simply tell you that the people around you/us notice, even when they are also complicit.

Nothing feels worthy of our attention, so we recoil into a little world that we think we control.

While it is great that that person felt so engaged with Severance that nothing was going to interfere with their focus, even their distraction machine, this really points out the bigger problem—nothing feels worthy of our attention, so we recoil into a little world that we think we control.

We generally know that we should be present in all the things we do. Some are more obvious than others. You should never be engaged in anything while driving, phones or otherwise. We should be working when working. We should engage with the person who is choosing to spend their time with you.

But then there are the not-so-obvious things we should be present for. Looking around, taking in our surroundings, even if it makes you feel uncomfortable. When on a video call with someone, be active, not answering email or attempting to be productive. Notice the people around you and actively engage with them.

What is an easy solution? Stop doing things you are uninterested in. If the show is not engaging your interests, stop watching. If the song is not making you feel something, press skip. If the person you are engaging with does not stimulate you, stop engaging with them—see or call them less often.

Yes, there are tools, hacks, and systems to help you focus. Yes, you can use focus modes or apps to limit access to distracting apps. You can get a dumb phone for the weekends. You can go all analog, using a system of notebooks and notepads to organize your life.

But in reality, none of those will work. We need to have access to some of these apps and services. Using a dumb phone is a nice idea, but not only as a weekend phone. Go all in or don't bother. Being 100% analog in our world is near impossible; it will be a short-lived hobby, followed by a lot of recycling.

While I don't personally have this problem, I have seen success in a few things. Use purpose-based devices, full time. Get that dumb phone as your one and only phone. While this is the most challenging of them all, I have seen people really enjoy it. Personally, I use a Kindle for reading and a reMarkable for all my handwritten thoughts and scribbles. Work is almost never done on my phone; I try to keep that exclusive to my MacBook.

I personally keep my phone on a mode that removes all color, animations, and transparency. I call it "e-ink mode." It basically makes it boring. I know that I need a smartphone, as I need parking apps, good navigation, chat apps, and access to the internet at random times. Otherwise, I'd get a Light Phone. I don't use this mode to keep me off my phone, because I am honestly not on it very often. I charge it every two days and have no social media on it. It is primarily a communication device. I just prefer the look and feel of it. I have been doing it fairly consistently since a bout of serious migraines a few years ago and I have grown to enjoy it. But I have heard that these settings could potentially help people feel less drawn to using their phones.

In reality, technology is not going to save us from itself. Honestly, it's only part of the problem. Yes, it has provided us with a tool to recoil into. When you are uncomfortable, bored, or disengaged, it is an easy way to hide. But that is the core of it, right? Rather than facing those moments, we hide. Rather than focusing, we distract.

There is really only one solution for our inability to focus. Instead of using your technology to fill the spaces of discomfort, confront them. It's in those moments when we realize we can scroll less, talk less, hide less and focus on what really matters. All you have to do is look up.