Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again with Johann Hari

Have you noticed that your ability to pay attention is collapsing?  Did you know that in the US teenagers can focus on one task for only sixty-five seconds at a time and office workers average only three minutes? Like so many of us Johann Hari was finding that constantly switching from device to device and tab to tab was a diminishing and depressing way to live. He went on a quest to find out what was happening to our attention and he wrote a phenomenal book called Stolen Focus.  He argues in the book that your focus has been stolen by some powerful external forces. Hari found that there are 12 deep causes of this crisis, from the decline of the mind-wandering to rising pollution, all of which have rubbed some of our attention.  Hari says that we can reclaim our focus-as individuals and as a society-if we are determined to fight for it.  SOME KEY POINTS Why do we need to pay attention to our attention?  How childhood is happening behind closed doors and the lack of free unstructured play and movement is affecting kids The myth of multitasking and the switch cost effect Why tech is not the only invader of your attention And why the solutions require both individual and collective approaches  And so much more GET HIS BOOKS God Save the Queen? Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention and Hhow to think Deeply Again   SUPPORT THE SHOW Become a patron on Patreon.com Make a one-time donation in any amount to say “Thank you!”   FULL SHOW NOTES www.authenticparenting.com/podcast   OUT SPONSOR  Athletic Greens is offering my listeners a FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D and 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Simply visit athleticgreens.com/authenticparenting   WORK WITH ME I would be thrilled to support you in your parenting journey! All listeners get 10% off on my services. Private Coaching Online courses and classes    GET IN TOUCH Comments, questions, feedback, and love notes  USA listeners call 732-763-2576 right now and leave a voicemail. International listeners use the FREE Speak Pipe tool on my website. Add your voice. It matters! Email: [email protected]   STAY CONNECTED Instagram Facebook Group-Authentic Parenting Community   Thanks for listening!   With gratitude, Anna Seewald Parent Educator, Keynote Speaker, Author www.authenticparenting.com