This was something I very much needed to read. Developed a neurological disorder that I’m still learning to manage. Biggest change that came with it is how I use the internet because my focus is so shoddy (before we add ADHD) and trying to juggle things- even just switching back and forth apps too fast, can give me a seizure.
I’ve been working to repair my attention span lately… at least as best I can but it’s been hard. Learning that there’s activism out there for this gives me hope. I’ve been increasingly thinking about how ads constantly interrupting content could also be a big play on shortening attention.
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that, Fialka. It’s something that often gets overlooked—how some people, due to health reasons, struggle with constant attention-grabbing stimuli.
Funny enough, I’ve started paying more attention to my own posts too. In my last post, I realized I had too many GIFs, making it overly stimulating. So, I switched to still images and kept just one GIF. I don’t want my posts to become the very thing I criticize about big tech.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and share your story. It really means a lot. Honestly, navigating all of this is tough in general, and I can’t even imagine how much harder it must be when it’s health-related. I constantly feel overwhelmed by the internet myself.
I am extremely perplexed by your sharing. Actually, knowing these truths but not accepting them was allowing me to live blissfully. But now you've pushed me to confront this issue again. What I understand is that we have very little resources to oppose as long as the system is the primary problem. Anyway, you drew my attention to this topic. I'll be following your ideas on this subject. Thanks so much.
Merhaba 😃 Aw, it's so nice to see a fellow Turk on Substack! I know there are many, but for some reason, I don’t come across them often. I’ve even tried looking for more Turkish Substackers!
Aww, I’m so glad it resonated with you and was eye-opening. This is exactly what we need more of! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to read my work—I truly appreciate it 💛
Hello Tuğba, I am delighted to hear that. Thank you so much for your response. I have been enjoying your posts since I discovered them; they are well-written, easy to understand, and purposeful. I look forward to your e-book. Thank you again.
I'm definitely not a 'machine' , so I've refused to split my attention through multi-tasking. My brain has understood that it doesn't work- even cooking and dancing. But I value focusing my attention very highly- mainly because of what I have learnt about focus, and what I have seen it can produce in me and for me.
Yessss! Honestly, even when I try, I just can’t do it properly, haha—I feel so flustered. On days when I end up crazy multitasking, I usually collapse into bed at night feeling totally disconnected, like an out-of-body experience. I really want to avoid those kinds of days! Thank you so much for reading and supporting my work, Lucinda! I really appreciate it. 😊🙏✨
I loved this post! Seeing all of the statistics about how often we switch between websites is scary! I definitely notice a drop in IQ with interruptions, I feel so drained and like my brain is moving really slowly after a day at my 9-5 where I constantly have 20+ tabs open.
Thank you so much for reading, Lucy! I’m with you on that one—I feel completely drained at the end of the day if I’ve done too much task-switching. It’s like my soul has left my body when I finally lay in bed.
I’m trying to do more focused work when I write, but at my job, it’s still incredibly difficult. Like you, I also work a 9-to-5, and task-switching is kind of expected, which I hate. Although, I’ve started putting my Slack on deep focus mode more often 😆 Could you do that too?
Found you and your post from the link you left under Emma Gannon’s post. Great read, the fact that colonialism has moved from land to braincells everywhere is very insightful. You don’t need boots on the ground to score an entire country’s riches…
Hi Sasha, thanks for reading! I think things will only get worse if we don't take action soon. There are already so many statistics about how their phones are negatively impacting children. I met a teacher two weeks ago who said that in her school, phone use was so out of control that they now have safes in every classroom where students have to lock up their phones and only get them back after school. She was saying how children were constantly glued to their phones not only during breaks, but also during lessons. Crazy!
All my social media apps (and that's a dwindling number now as I focus more onto those few which actually add value for me) have notifications turned off. I can go in and check on my terms, but the urge to "just take a quick look" has been greatly reduced. For now, I leave the "badge" counts on, but may well remove those too.
Every "ding", every popup in the corner, is a distraction, an invitation to drop what I'm doing and context switch to something else.
At work, this is unavoidable. I can't turn off the Teams or email notifications because there's an expectation of availability. There are days at work where I feel like I've spent most of my time communicating with colleagues; in reality, it's nothing like most of it, but it feels like it. As a software developer there's no such thing as a "quick couple of minutes of my time"; that quick couple of minutes leads to half an hour of trying to recover context back to where I was before the interruption. It's not even a remote work problem; back when I was in an office, we *still* had the online communications we do now, and on top of it we had random in-person interruptions which often weren't work-related and could not ever be set to "do not disturb".
Throw in enough interruptions in a day and the entire work day becomes a series of quick interruptions separated by futile attempts to regain context on a task which never really gets started. Very frustrating.
A CPU running a well-designed OS can context switch quickly. It can store the content of its registers in a nanosecond and switch to executing code elsewhere in memory immediately. It stores, in perfect detail and with instant recall, the state of every task it is handling. Human brains aren't CPUs.
I completely understand how you feel, Paul. As I mentioned in the post, I work in tech (Salesforce). As a result, there are certain expectations when it comes to using our own products, such as Slack. The company has transitioned most email communication to Slack, and to be honest, I'm now feeling overwhelmed by it.
I'm in so many groups on Slack, and I can't just leave them without it reflecting poorly on me. My manager is understanding and empathizes with how I'm feeling. I use Slack from the browser, and one of my colleagues was surprised on Friday that I still hadn't downloaded the app. However, I'm hesitant to do so because I know the app will make the situation worse by constantly running on my desktop. At least with the browser, I can close the tab and have a real break.
That said, I'm trying to make gradual changes to improve the situation. I've started setting my Slack status to "Deep Work" or "Focusing" so that if I don't reply immediately, colleagues will know that I'm concentrating on something important. This approach has been working well for me so far.
Thank you for reading 🫶🏼 Have a wonderful weekend Paul!
Thanks for this great article. I’ve been researching dark patterns used by social media and dating apps, and it’s fascinating (and unsettling) to see how our instincts have been weaponised against us.
I think there’s still a lot we can do to resist, and you mentioned many excellent strategies. Personally, I keep my phone on Do Not Disturb at all times, with no notifications for messaging apps, emails, or anything else. Naturally, I’ve also ditched all social media.
What I find hardest, though, is work. I’m an engineering manager, and my day is packed with an average of five Zoom calls, hundreds of Slack messages, and constant expectations to monitor and act quickly when needed. It’s the biggest productivity killer for me. Finding uninterrupted time to think deeply, solve complex problems, or draft proposals can take days—when really, I’d only need 2–3 hours of calm. But I just never get that, and I feel like nobody in my company does either.
We’re expected to deliver high-impact work while simultaneously being available to respond to every message promptly, which is clearly incompatible. You mentioned working in the tech industry as well—do you face similar challenges? If so, have you found any solutions or improvements?
Hi James, I’d love to read some of the research you found on dark patterns. Please share it when you get a chance! Sorry I’m only getting back to you now—I’m behind on all the comments.
Work is also a pain for me! I can lock up my personal phone, but my work phone is more complicated. What I started doing is putting my Slack status on “Deep Focus.” That way, people know I’m working and will not get mad if I don’t reply. Thank you for reading!
Loved reading this! Another reason why we need to put 'growth-at-all-costs' under a microscope. I don't believe everyone has evil or malicious intentions but focusing on increasing e.g. click-through-rates, time spent and customer lifetime value is how we inadvertently design ourselves further into phone addiction. I know I've commented it before (Sorry!) but damn does ethics need a comeback in tech.
I ran some sessions at work on the ethical use of technology, and I really enjoyed it. However, I'm not sure if our company is still conducting these sessions. I definitely agree that ethics needs to make a comeback. The current situation is out of control!
I'm approaching this from a slightly different angle. I've read a few similar posts, explaining about how we often doom scroll and how pointless it ends up being. I have no problem with this idea. I think one thing which I don't often see addressed is how social media fills a gap in a person's life.
Consider how social media started - keep in touch with friends. share photos. Now it's an amalgamation of an advertising agency mixed up with a 24/7 feed of entertainment. For many people this is their only escape.
It might be a job sucking the life out of you. It might be a family life slowly killing you. It might be an abusive relationship. It might be loneliness. Social media, like so many other addictions, tends to fill a hole in a person's life.
I don't doubt the people who use it, and benefit from it (whether it is for your business, your artwork, etc). As much as we say it is a bad thing, for some people it's a good thing. But the majority of people I know tend to suffer from the negative effects of social media. The doom scroll. The inability to disconnect.
The sad thing is how the companies running these beasts rarely think about how their product affects the end user.
I completely agree, Richard! I would even argue that people who don’t want to fill a void should still have access to the internet and phones. I don’t think the solution is to simply ban everything or lock up our phones. There are so many wonderful aspects of the internet, like the fact that you and I can have this conversation.
However, things are slowly getting out of control regarding our health. There are healthier ways to conduct business. Many executives openly state their children aren’t allowed to use phones until a certain age. They are definitely aware of the health impacts, yet money and growth often take precedence over well-being.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment! Have a wonderful rest of the week 🫶🏼
It’s unreal how much time and energy and BRAINS and TALENT are being used to just get us stare at our phone, and to keep consuming “content” so we watch more ads.
You know what’s even worse, Seth? These same executives are super strict about their own children's phone usage! There’s so much information out there showing how they openly discuss limiting their kids' phone access until a certain age. Yet, many of them easily approve features that harm other children’s health. It makes me very angry!
Have you seen that Australia has now banned social media for children? I wonder how that will play out day to day.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read, especially on your busy day, Seth. I really appreciate your support. Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week and happy holidays 🫶🏼🎄
Thought about you today as I was trying to configure things in the Opal app you recommended (thank you again), and this piece SPEAKS TO ME. Maybe screams at me, but in a good way, because I've been contemplating this so, so much recently. Thank you for the valuable insights. I want to throw my smart phone away.
Oh, that’s amazing! How have you found Opal so far? I still love using it, but I also got a Ksafe, and it’s fantastic! Out of sight, out of mind. I never realized how impactful it would be knowing my phone is locked in that box—I feel so relaxed during those times. It’s even better than hiding it in the wardrobe. There’s definitely a psychological effect, if you know what I mean!
Have you considered getting a dumb phone or a Light Phone? Have a wonderful rest of the week, Alemdar 🫶🏼
Wow this was a great article!! I particularly liked Sean Parker's fears, which reminded me of the discourse around Frankenstein (technology, ethics, creation, responsibility, etc)
Yes, I’m a huge fan of that quote too! It's interesting how many senior tech professionals are strict about their kids' phone usage while contributing to the negative impact on others' well-being. I heard that Australia has banned social media for anyone under 18—is that right? I love it! I'm curious about how that will be implemented. Have you noticed any differences in phone use among children in Australia since moving there from Europe?
I haven’t read Frankenstein, but I get the gist of it. I did watch Poor Things, and I want to read the book as well. They seem similar in some ways and I get where you are coming from. Thank you for taking the time to read Barbs 🫶🏼
I think it's under 16? which is even better but people are wondering if kids are just going to create secondary 'adult' accounts now and ignore the rules when they kick in... I am not around kids much but I found uniform rules so strict here I'm not surprised they are seeking an escape and exploring their individuality via social media. (no uniforms in Italy, and we grew up pre-socials so I am truly on the opposite side of this matter)
I spoke to a teacher two weeks ago who works at a school in Germany. She told me that phone use is out of control, not only during breaks but also during class time. As a result, the school has purchased safes for the classrooms, and students are now required to hand in their phones in the morning and collect them at the end of the school day.
Great piece! 👏 Shall I tell you that I got distracted 3 times before finishing it?! I won't hide it, we all have a serious problem. At least one of those 3 times was to implement a spontaneous measure: I put my phone on greyscale mode and intend to keep it like that for the time being.
I laughed so hard at your message! I’ve actually set a timer next to me for focused work these days. Right now, I’ve set it for 10 minutes to reply to comments, and I’m trying to stick to just one task—though it doesn't always work! I tried greyscale mode, but I didn’t like it; maybe that means it worked? How long have you had yours in greyscale?
Thank you so much for reading! I’ve been busy and am just catching up on comments now. Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week 🫶🏼
Thank you for taking the time to read, Claire! I believe you’re already off for your well-deserved break. I'm really looking forward to creating more magic with you and the Sparkle community next year. Happy Holidays 🫶🏼 🎄
I love the idea of 'attention activism.' It's not enough to just make individual changes; we need to push for systemic change. Maybe it's time to start organizing and demanding that tech companies prioritize user well-being over profit. After all, we've done it before with other industries. Why not this one?
Absolutely! I don’t think we should feel helpless about it. I organize the Berlin Substack Writers meetups, and we were discussing with one of the writers the possibility of taking local action. I definitely want to brainstorm more on this. I also heard from another reader who is already involved in attention activism. If we start having these conversations, we’ll see that there are others taking action, and we can come together as a collective.
Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week, Alexander, and happy holidays 🫶🏼
This was something I very much needed to read. Developed a neurological disorder that I’m still learning to manage. Biggest change that came with it is how I use the internet because my focus is so shoddy (before we add ADHD) and trying to juggle things- even just switching back and forth apps too fast, can give me a seizure.
I’ve been working to repair my attention span lately… at least as best I can but it’s been hard. Learning that there’s activism out there for this gives me hope. I’ve been increasingly thinking about how ads constantly interrupting content could also be a big play on shortening attention.
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that, Fialka. It’s something that often gets overlooked—how some people, due to health reasons, struggle with constant attention-grabbing stimuli.
Funny enough, I’ve started paying more attention to my own posts too. In my last post, I realized I had too many GIFs, making it overly stimulating. So, I switched to still images and kept just one GIF. I don’t want my posts to become the very thing I criticize about big tech.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and share your story. It really means a lot. Honestly, navigating all of this is tough in general, and I can’t even imagine how much harder it must be when it’s health-related. I constantly feel overwhelmed by the internet myself.
I am extremely perplexed by your sharing. Actually, knowing these truths but not accepting them was allowing me to live blissfully. But now you've pushed me to confront this issue again. What I understand is that we have very little resources to oppose as long as the system is the primary problem. Anyway, you drew my attention to this topic. I'll be following your ideas on this subject. Thanks so much.
Merhaba 😃 Aw, it's so nice to see a fellow Turk on Substack! I know there are many, but for some reason, I don’t come across them often. I’ve even tried looking for more Turkish Substackers!
Aww, I’m so glad it resonated with you and was eye-opening. This is exactly what we need more of! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to read my work—I truly appreciate it 💛
Hello Tuğba, I am delighted to hear that. Thank you so much for your response. I have been enjoying your posts since I discovered them; they are well-written, easy to understand, and purposeful. I look forward to your e-book. Thank you again.
I'm definitely not a 'machine' , so I've refused to split my attention through multi-tasking. My brain has understood that it doesn't work- even cooking and dancing. But I value focusing my attention very highly- mainly because of what I have learnt about focus, and what I have seen it can produce in me and for me.
Yessss! Honestly, even when I try, I just can’t do it properly, haha—I feel so flustered. On days when I end up crazy multitasking, I usually collapse into bed at night feeling totally disconnected, like an out-of-body experience. I really want to avoid those kinds of days! Thank you so much for reading and supporting my work, Lucinda! I really appreciate it. 😊🙏✨
You have a very full schedule, so I understand. Just grateful I can learn from you here.
I loved this post! Seeing all of the statistics about how often we switch between websites is scary! I definitely notice a drop in IQ with interruptions, I feel so drained and like my brain is moving really slowly after a day at my 9-5 where I constantly have 20+ tabs open.
Thank you so much for reading, Lucy! I’m with you on that one—I feel completely drained at the end of the day if I’ve done too much task-switching. It’s like my soul has left my body when I finally lay in bed.
I’m trying to do more focused work when I write, but at my job, it’s still incredibly difficult. Like you, I also work a 9-to-5, and task-switching is kind of expected, which I hate. Although, I’ve started putting my Slack on deep focus mode more often 😆 Could you do that too?
Found you and your post from the link you left under Emma Gannon’s post. Great read, the fact that colonialism has moved from land to braincells everywhere is very insightful. You don’t need boots on the ground to score an entire country’s riches…
Hi Sasha, thanks for reading! I think things will only get worse if we don't take action soon. There are already so many statistics about how their phones are negatively impacting children. I met a teacher two weeks ago who said that in her school, phone use was so out of control that they now have safes in every classroom where students have to lock up their phones and only get them back after school. She was saying how children were constantly glued to their phones not only during breaks, but also during lessons. Crazy!
Have a wonderful weekend 🫶🏼
All my social media apps (and that's a dwindling number now as I focus more onto those few which actually add value for me) have notifications turned off. I can go in and check on my terms, but the urge to "just take a quick look" has been greatly reduced. For now, I leave the "badge" counts on, but may well remove those too.
Every "ding", every popup in the corner, is a distraction, an invitation to drop what I'm doing and context switch to something else.
At work, this is unavoidable. I can't turn off the Teams or email notifications because there's an expectation of availability. There are days at work where I feel like I've spent most of my time communicating with colleagues; in reality, it's nothing like most of it, but it feels like it. As a software developer there's no such thing as a "quick couple of minutes of my time"; that quick couple of minutes leads to half an hour of trying to recover context back to where I was before the interruption. It's not even a remote work problem; back when I was in an office, we *still* had the online communications we do now, and on top of it we had random in-person interruptions which often weren't work-related and could not ever be set to "do not disturb".
Throw in enough interruptions in a day and the entire work day becomes a series of quick interruptions separated by futile attempts to regain context on a task which never really gets started. Very frustrating.
A CPU running a well-designed OS can context switch quickly. It can store the content of its registers in a nanosecond and switch to executing code elsewhere in memory immediately. It stores, in perfect detail and with instant recall, the state of every task it is handling. Human brains aren't CPUs.
I completely understand how you feel, Paul. As I mentioned in the post, I work in tech (Salesforce). As a result, there are certain expectations when it comes to using our own products, such as Slack. The company has transitioned most email communication to Slack, and to be honest, I'm now feeling overwhelmed by it.
I'm in so many groups on Slack, and I can't just leave them without it reflecting poorly on me. My manager is understanding and empathizes with how I'm feeling. I use Slack from the browser, and one of my colleagues was surprised on Friday that I still hadn't downloaded the app. However, I'm hesitant to do so because I know the app will make the situation worse by constantly running on my desktop. At least with the browser, I can close the tab and have a real break.
That said, I'm trying to make gradual changes to improve the situation. I've started setting my Slack status to "Deep Work" or "Focusing" so that if I don't reply immediately, colleagues will know that I'm concentrating on something important. This approach has been working well for me so far.
Thank you for reading 🫶🏼 Have a wonderful weekend Paul!
Thanks for this great article. I’ve been researching dark patterns used by social media and dating apps, and it’s fascinating (and unsettling) to see how our instincts have been weaponised against us.
I think there’s still a lot we can do to resist, and you mentioned many excellent strategies. Personally, I keep my phone on Do Not Disturb at all times, with no notifications for messaging apps, emails, or anything else. Naturally, I’ve also ditched all social media.
What I find hardest, though, is work. I’m an engineering manager, and my day is packed with an average of five Zoom calls, hundreds of Slack messages, and constant expectations to monitor and act quickly when needed. It’s the biggest productivity killer for me. Finding uninterrupted time to think deeply, solve complex problems, or draft proposals can take days—when really, I’d only need 2–3 hours of calm. But I just never get that, and I feel like nobody in my company does either.
We’re expected to deliver high-impact work while simultaneously being available to respond to every message promptly, which is clearly incompatible. You mentioned working in the tech industry as well—do you face similar challenges? If so, have you found any solutions or improvements?
Hi James, I’d love to read some of the research you found on dark patterns. Please share it when you get a chance! Sorry I’m only getting back to you now—I’m behind on all the comments.
Work is also a pain for me! I can lock up my personal phone, but my work phone is more complicated. What I started doing is putting my Slack status on “Deep Focus.” That way, people know I’m working and will not get mad if I don’t reply. Thank you for reading!
Loved reading this! Another reason why we need to put 'growth-at-all-costs' under a microscope. I don't believe everyone has evil or malicious intentions but focusing on increasing e.g. click-through-rates, time spent and customer lifetime value is how we inadvertently design ourselves further into phone addiction. I know I've commented it before (Sorry!) but damn does ethics need a comeback in tech.
I ran some sessions at work on the ethical use of technology, and I really enjoyed it. However, I'm not sure if our company is still conducting these sessions. I definitely agree that ethics needs to make a comeback. The current situation is out of control!
I'm approaching this from a slightly different angle. I've read a few similar posts, explaining about how we often doom scroll and how pointless it ends up being. I have no problem with this idea. I think one thing which I don't often see addressed is how social media fills a gap in a person's life.
Consider how social media started - keep in touch with friends. share photos. Now it's an amalgamation of an advertising agency mixed up with a 24/7 feed of entertainment. For many people this is their only escape.
It might be a job sucking the life out of you. It might be a family life slowly killing you. It might be an abusive relationship. It might be loneliness. Social media, like so many other addictions, tends to fill a hole in a person's life.
I don't doubt the people who use it, and benefit from it (whether it is for your business, your artwork, etc). As much as we say it is a bad thing, for some people it's a good thing. But the majority of people I know tend to suffer from the negative effects of social media. The doom scroll. The inability to disconnect.
The sad thing is how the companies running these beasts rarely think about how their product affects the end user.
Thanks for a great article : )
I completely agree, Richard! I would even argue that people who don’t want to fill a void should still have access to the internet and phones. I don’t think the solution is to simply ban everything or lock up our phones. There are so many wonderful aspects of the internet, like the fact that you and I can have this conversation.
However, things are slowly getting out of control regarding our health. There are healthier ways to conduct business. Many executives openly state their children aren’t allowed to use phones until a certain age. They are definitely aware of the health impacts, yet money and growth often take precedence over well-being.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment! Have a wonderful rest of the week 🫶🏼
It’s unreal how much time and energy and BRAINS and TALENT are being used to just get us stare at our phone, and to keep consuming “content” so we watch more ads.
You know what’s even worse, Seth? These same executives are super strict about their own children's phone usage! There’s so much information out there showing how they openly discuss limiting their kids' phone access until a certain age. Yet, many of them easily approve features that harm other children’s health. It makes me very angry!
Have you seen that Australia has now banned social media for children? I wonder how that will play out day to day.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read, especially on your busy day, Seth. I really appreciate your support. Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week and happy holidays 🫶🏼🎄
AHHHH I've seen that! I need to find a few of those articles and put them into one email or something. It's TERRIFYING.
AND HEY - thank YOU for the support. You're writing powerful stuff, and the world needs more of it! Happy Holidays to you and yours, too :)
🫶🏼 thank you! So sweet of you 🥰
great stuff!!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read amidst your busy day 🫶🏼
Thought about you today as I was trying to configure things in the Opal app you recommended (thank you again), and this piece SPEAKS TO ME. Maybe screams at me, but in a good way, because I've been contemplating this so, so much recently. Thank you for the valuable insights. I want to throw my smart phone away.
Oh, that’s amazing! How have you found Opal so far? I still love using it, but I also got a Ksafe, and it’s fantastic! Out of sight, out of mind. I never realized how impactful it would be knowing my phone is locked in that box—I feel so relaxed during those times. It’s even better than hiding it in the wardrobe. There’s definitely a psychological effect, if you know what I mean!
Have you considered getting a dumb phone or a Light Phone? Have a wonderful rest of the week, Alemdar 🫶🏼
Wow this was a great article!! I particularly liked Sean Parker's fears, which reminded me of the discourse around Frankenstein (technology, ethics, creation, responsibility, etc)
Yes, I’m a huge fan of that quote too! It's interesting how many senior tech professionals are strict about their kids' phone usage while contributing to the negative impact on others' well-being. I heard that Australia has banned social media for anyone under 18—is that right? I love it! I'm curious about how that will be implemented. Have you noticed any differences in phone use among children in Australia since moving there from Europe?
I haven’t read Frankenstein, but I get the gist of it. I did watch Poor Things, and I want to read the book as well. They seem similar in some ways and I get where you are coming from. Thank you for taking the time to read Barbs 🫶🏼
Poor Things is on my to-watch list!!
I think it's under 16? which is even better but people are wondering if kids are just going to create secondary 'adult' accounts now and ignore the rules when they kick in... I am not around kids much but I found uniform rules so strict here I'm not surprised they are seeking an escape and exploring their individuality via social media. (no uniforms in Italy, and we grew up pre-socials so I am truly on the opposite side of this matter)
I spoke to a teacher two weeks ago who works at a school in Germany. She told me that phone use is out of control, not only during breaks but also during class time. As a result, the school has purchased safes for the classrooms, and students are now required to hand in their phones in the morning and collect them at the end of the school day.
wow! That's quite an initiative! I'll need to ask my teacher friends how they deal with that in Italy...
I actually want to speak with more teachers now!
Great piece! 👏 Shall I tell you that I got distracted 3 times before finishing it?! I won't hide it, we all have a serious problem. At least one of those 3 times was to implement a spontaneous measure: I put my phone on greyscale mode and intend to keep it like that for the time being.
I laughed so hard at your message! I’ve actually set a timer next to me for focused work these days. Right now, I’ve set it for 10 minutes to reply to comments, and I’m trying to stick to just one task—though it doesn't always work! I tried greyscale mode, but I didn’t like it; maybe that means it worked? How long have you had yours in greyscale?
Thank you so much for reading! I’ve been busy and am just catching up on comments now. Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week 🫶🏼
Wonderful piece. Thank you for all your research! ✨
Thank you for taking the time to read, Claire! I believe you’re already off for your well-deserved break. I'm really looking forward to creating more magic with you and the Sparkle community next year. Happy Holidays 🫶🏼 🎄
I love the idea of 'attention activism.' It's not enough to just make individual changes; we need to push for systemic change. Maybe it's time to start organizing and demanding that tech companies prioritize user well-being over profit. After all, we've done it before with other industries. Why not this one?
Absolutely! I don’t think we should feel helpless about it. I organize the Berlin Substack Writers meetups, and we were discussing with one of the writers the possibility of taking local action. I definitely want to brainstorm more on this. I also heard from another reader who is already involved in attention activism. If we start having these conversations, we’ll see that there are others taking action, and we can come together as a collective.
Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week, Alexander, and happy holidays 🫶🏼