Index

The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of the book. Each link will take you to the beginning of the corresponding print page. You may need to scroll forward from that location to find the corresponding reference on your e-reader.

A

acceleration of life
- driving forces, 29–34, 277–80
- effect on attention, 34–37
- “the Great Acceleration,” 35
- work hours and, 190–92
activism
- climate change and, 134–35, 267, 274, 280–83
- to reclaim our stolen focus, 273–80
Adam (author’s godson), 3–8, 149, 272
Adderall, 174–75, 177, 227, 229. See also stimulants
adenosine, 70
ADHD symptoms, 213–37
- in animals, 217–21
- background, 213–14
- biological disorder debate, 214–16, 232–37
- diagnosis of ADHD explained, 224
- environment and, 221–27, 234–35, 236
- nutrition and, 200–201, 202, 236
- pollution and, 204, 207, 236
- sleep deprivation and, 71
- social support and, 227
- stimulant research, 227–32. See also stimulants
- stress and, 173–79, 225–27, 236
- twin studies, 232–35
Adverse Childhood Experiences Survey, 175–76
air pollution, 204–5, 212
Aitkenhead, Decca, 137
alcohol consumption
- distraction comparison, 42
- for insomnia, 73–74
- sleep deprivation comparison, 66, 69
- switch cost effect comparison, 133
algorithms
- anger and, 131–40, 164–65. See also anger
- for distraction, 129–31

human downgrading through, 141–42
reward response and, 132–33

aliveness
- four-day work week and, 187, 189
- free play and, 244, 248
Amazon (company), 160
Amazon Echo, 127
Amazon rain forest, 140
Ambien, 73–74
American Council on Science and Health, 210
American Psychiatric Association, 215
American psychology, 52–53, 57
American Time Use Survey, 80
amphetamines. See stimulants
ancient Rome, 205–6
Andrew (friend), 26–27, 101
anesthesia, 74–75
anger
- attention span and, 134
- conspiracy theorists and, 136–37
- culture shifts and, 131–32
- technology design and, 131, 133–34, 138–40, 164–65
animals
- ADHD symptoms and, 217–21
- domestication of, 219
- play deprivation and effect on, 260
- psychiatric drugs for, 218–19
anxiety
- author’s change strategies for, 270
- mind-wandering and, 100
- play and, 246, 253
- sleep deprivation and, 180
Apple Macintosh, 119, 192
apps. See also technology design
- designed by Harris, 110, 111–12
- Instagram predecessor, 110
- for internet access and control, 102, 103, 268
- for in-person socializing, 121
attention
- defined, 91–92, 93, 96
- forms of attention, 265–67
- loss of. See stolen focus
“attentional blinks,” 67
attentional pathogenic culture, 11–12
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. See ADHD symptoms
Attention Rebellion, 264–83
- author’s commitment to change, 268–70
- for the climate crisis, 280–83
- Covid-19 and, 264–68, 270–73
- economic growth and, 277–80
- glimpse of the future, 270–73
- goals for, 273–74
- movement-building for, 274–77
Auckland (New Zealand), 190–91
Auden, W. H., 283
Australia’s Black Summer, 281–82
authoritarianism, 14. See also radicalization
autism, 87

B

bad habits, 145–46, 148–49
Baldwin, James, 15
Barnes, Andrew, 185–87, 190, 191, 193
Baumeister, Roy, 9, 56
BBC, 158
behaviorism, 52–53, 57, 109, 110, 148–49
Behncke, Isabel, 243–44
“being wired,” 16–17
Berlant, Lauren, 150
The Better Angels of Our Nature (Pinker), 183
Biden, Joe, 192
Big Tech. See technology design; specific companies
bisphenol A (BPA), 210, 212
BlackBerry’s slogan, 35
blood sugar levels, 198–99
Blue Lagoon (Iceland), 8
blue light, 77
bodily waste removal, during sleep, 71–72
Bolsonaro, Jair, 138–39, 140, 165
brain cells
- pollution’s effect on, 204–5
- waste removal from, 72
brain development
- exercise and, 243
- risks associated with use of stimulants, 230–31
“brainwashing,” 71–72
Brazil, presidential election (2018), 137–40, 165
Brexit, 164
Bridge, Russell, 188
Brin, Sergey, 118
British National Health Service, 199
British Office of National Statistics, 176
Brown, James, 107–8
Brown, Nicole, 176
Bulger, Jamie, 132
Bush, George W., 256

C

caffeine, 70–71, 198–99
Cambridge Analytica, 111
capitalism
- collective attention span and, 278–79
- surveillance capitalism, 127–28, 156–64, 169–70, 273
carbohydrates, 198–99
Carr, Nicholas, 81, 83
Castellanos, Xavier, 69–70, 231
cerebrospinal fluid, 71–72
CFCs ban, 134–35, 157
change strategies
- author’s personal experience, 147
- author’s strategies, 16–29, 268–70. See also digital detox
- background, 143–44
- cruel optimism and, 150–55
- culture shifts and, 166–70
- debate on, 162–65
- individual strategies, 144–47
- mind manipulation and, 147–50
- surveillance capitalism ban as, 156–62, 169
Chasing the Stream (author), 166
Chaslot, Guillaume, 135–36
children
- change strategy for, 144
- current activity trends, 245–46
- developmental skills for, 243–45
- environmental issues and, 205–9, 221–27
- nutrition and, 200, 201
- parental mental health and, 172–73
- play and, 238–43. See also free play
- sleep deprivation and, 67, 70
- stimulant use risks for, 230–31
- trauma and, 172–79
Claxton, Guy, 36
climate activism, 134–35, 267, 274, 280–83
coal, 274–76
Coletivo Papo Reto (Facebook page), 138
collective attention span, 30–34, 278–80
college students, 10, 68
Colville, Robert, 35
Complexo do Alemão, 137–39
“condemn more, understand less,” 132
conscious mind thought production, 37–39
conspiracy theories, 136, 142
consumerism, 76–77, 160, 278–80
Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry, 171–72
Covid-19
- author’s personal experience, 264–65, 267–68, 270–71
- as a glimpse of the future, 270–73
- slowing down during, 280
- work hours during, 193
creativity and imagination
- drain on, 39–40
- flow states and, 53–54
- free play for development of, 244
- mind-wandering and, 93, 96–97
- sleep deprivation’s effect on, 69
cribbing, by horses, 217–18, 219
Crockett, Molly, 22
cruel optimism, 150–55
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly, 50–56, 57–60, 61–62, 80, 268–69
Csikszentmihalyi, Moricz, 51, 58–59
culture shifts. See also Attention Rebellion
- as change strategy, 166–70
- cruel optimism and, 150–55
- free play and, 238–43, 256, 262–63
- technology design and, 131–32
- work hours and, 192
Czeisler, Charles
- on “attentional blinks,” 67
- background, 65–67
- on children and sleep deprivation, 67
- on consumerism and sleep deprivation, 76–77, 279
- on crisis of sleep deprivation, 70
- on effects of sleep deprivation, 67, 69, 72
- on light and sleep deprivation, 74–76
- on sleep as active process, 71
- on solutions for sleep deprivation, 77
- on stimulants and sleep, 231

D

danger
- effect on mind-wandering, 100
- psychological response to, 134, 135, 140, 174–76
day-dreaming. See mind-wandering
daylight attention layer, 266
de Beauvoir, Simone, 46–47
Deci, Ed, 184, 246–47
decompression
- digital detox and, 27–29, 35, 36–37, 44–47, 63–65
- productivity and, 188–89
default mode network, 94–95, 98
Delaney, Helen, 189
Demeneix, Barbara, 204, 209–10, 211, 212
dementia
- nutrition and, 200–201
- pollution and, 205
- sleep deprivation and, 72
“denial-of-service attack,” 266–67
design. See technology design
“detecting n-grams,” 31–32
dextroamphetamine, 228. See also stimulants
diet. See nutrition
dieting, 152–54
digital detox
- author’s decision making process for, 16–17
- author’s preparations for, 19–21
- author’s pre-commitment phase, 21–27
- author’s reflection on, 270
- author’s weeks of decompression, 27–29, 35, 36–37, 44–47, 63–65. See also acceleration of life; multitasking; sleep deprivation
- author’s weeks of flow state, 46–50, 59–61. See also flow states
- author’s weeks of mind-wandering, 92–93. See also mind-wandering
- end of, 101–4
- relapse following, 103–4
- as unsustainable solution, 105
diminished memory effect, 40
distracted driving, 41–42
distractions. See also multitasking
- alcohol consumption comparison, 42
- as broad spotlight, 92
- driving distracted, 41–42
- IQ study, 39
- switch cost effect of, 40–41
Dixon, Professor Kingsley, 281
doctors, sleep deprivation and, 74
Dodman, Nicholas, 217–21
dogs, 217–20
domestication, of animals, 219
downgrading of humans, 132, 141–42
dreaming, 72–73, 74–75
driving distracted, 41–42
drunk driving, 41–42
dystopian technologies, 170

E

economic growth, 76–77, 278–80
education
- culture shifts and, 166–68
- free play and, 249–54
- No Child Left Behind Act (2002), 256
- progressive, 256–62
- standardized, 239, 255–56, 260–61
electric cars, 212
emails
- on-call for, 194–95
- change strategies for, 146
- ego and, 101–2, 103
- Gmail, 112–14, 115, 125–26, 169
emotional surveillance, 169–70
empathy, 86–90, 179
energy spikes and crashes, 197–99
“engagement” measurement, 113–14
environment
- ADHD symptoms and, 221–27, 234–35, 236
- pollution and, 204–12. See also pollution
Environmental Protection Agency, 207
Eriksen, Thomas Hylland, 278–79
error-correcting, 39, 40
Eslami, Motahhare, 132
ethical issues
- business models, 113–17, 118–19, 123
- design, 111–12, 117–18, 121–23, 129
- stimulant use, 222–24, 236–37
Evangelische Schule Berlin Zentrum, 261
exercise
- attentional boost from, 243
- at schools, 256
exhaustion, 185–95
- author’s personal experience, 63–65
- background, 185–86

Covid-19, 193
movement to reclaim rest, 273–74
productivity and, 186–90
“right to disconnect,” 194–95
sports team analogy, 190
weekends and vacation time, 190–92

extrinsic motives, 247–48, 252
Eyal, Nir
- on Big Tech’s efforts, 147–48
- cruel optimism of, 151–53, 155
- interview with, 155
- on mind manipulation, 148
- on surveillance capitalism, 162–64
- techniques for unplugging, 143–47, 148, 149, 150, 154
- Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, 148, 149
- Indistractible, 145, 149–50
Ezard, Nadine, 228, 229

F

Fabio (child), 137–38
Facebook
- algorithms and, 130–32, 138–39, 164–65
- business model, 122–23, 124–25, 165
- Covid-19 and, 272
- effect of, 115
- ethical issues, 122–23
- infinite scroll and, 120, 159
- message in the medium, 84, 85
- notification settings for, 147
- profile tracking by, 125–26
- reinvented, 157–58, 159–61
- surveillance by, 169–70
Fadell, Tony, 123
false news, 135–40
favelas, 137–39, 165
fear, as internal trigger, 148–49
feminist movement, 166–68
fiber, 198
financial stress, 180–82, 270
Finland, 181–82, 215, 261–62
Firefox, 119–20
fire hose analogy, 32–33
flow states, 46–62
- as author’s change strategy, 268–69
- author’s personal experience, 46–50, 59–61
- background, 50–54
- conditions for, 55–59
- defined, 55
- discovery of, 53–55
- as fragile and disruptable, 59–61
- fragmentation comparison, 62
- reading and, 59–60, 61, 64, 80
- reflections on, 61–62
focus. See stolen focus
Fogg, B. J., 109–10, 144
food. See nutrition
food allergies, 200
food dyes, 200, 201
four-day work week, 187–90, 192, 193, 273–74
France, 8–9, 193, 194–95
Frankenstein, 141–42
Freedom app, 102, 103, 268
free play, 238–54
- as author’s change strategy, 269–70
- culture shifts and, 238–43, 256, 262–63
- importance of, 248–49
- intrinsic motive development through, 246–48, 252, 260–61
- mastery and, 252–53, 256
- reclaiming, 249–54, 274
- skills learned through, 243–46, 256–62
friendships
- Facebook comparison, 84, 85
- free play for development of, 244
“frustrated biological objects,” 219

G

Gallup poll, 80
gasoline, 206, 208–9
Gasset, José Ortega y, 21
Gazzaley, Adam, 43–44
General Motors, 206
Germany, 165, 261
“gig economy,” 192
Gilbert, Dan, 99–100
Giussani, Bruno, 282
Gmail, 112–14, 115, 125–26, 169
goals, 55–57, 59–60
godson, of author, 3–8, 149, 272
Google
- advertising and, 125–26
- control rooms at, 112–13
- engagement measured by, 113–14
- ethical business model issues and, 113–19
- ethics of, 113–17, 118–19, 123
- motto, 35
- profile tracking by, 125–26
- worth of, 118
Google Books, 31–32
Google Maps, 127
Google Nest Hubs, 127
Google searches, 30, 125–26
GPS analogy, 140–41
Graceland, 4, 5–8
Graham, Paul, 123
Gray, Peter, 243–44, 258–59
“the Great Acceleration,” 35
Greenpeace U.K., 274
growth issues, with stimulant use, 230–31

H

habits (bad), triggers for, 145–46, 148–49
Haddad, Fernando, 139
Haidt, Jonathan, 244, 246
Hamilton, Alice, 206, 209
Hari, Lydia, 166–68
Harris, Nadine Burke, 134, 172–79, 226
Harris, Tristan
- on algorithms, 130, 131, 140
- apps designed by, 110, 111–12
- on climate crisis, 280–81
- on cruel optimism, 154–55
- “design ethicist” position offered to, 117–19
- education, 108–11
- at Google, 112–19
- on “human downgrading,” 132, 141–42
- magic and, 106–7
- mentor of, 170
- on profile tracking, 127–28
- on radicalization, 131, 136–37
- on surveillance capitalism ban, 157, 159–64, 169
- on tech business models, 125, 127–28
- on tech design, 128–29
- “time well spent” slogan by, 147
Hart, Carl, 228–29
Harvard University, 82
heart problems, with stimulant use, 230–31
“hearts and likes,” 133
Hewlett-Packard study, 39
Hickel, Jason, 279
Hilbert, Martin, 32
Hinshaw, Stephen, 216, 232
Homer, 21–22
homophobia, culture shifts and, 168–69
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products (Eyal), 148, 149
horses, 217–18, 219
human downgrading, 132, 141–42
hyperactivity, 67, 217–21. See also ADHD symptoms
hypervigilance, 140, 174–77, 180, 182, 271–72

I

Iceland, 8
imagination. See creativity and imagination
Indistractible (Eyal), 145, 149–50
industrial chemicals. See pollution
Industrial Revolution, 191, 274, 278
infinite scroll, 119–21, 159
Infowars website, 136
insomnia. See sleep deprivation
Instagram
- behaviorism principles applied to, 53
- creation of, 110, 114
- ethical issues for, 123
- infinite scroll and, 159
- message in the medium, 84, 85
- notification settings for, 147
internal triggers, 145–46, 148–49
internet access control devices, 102–3, 268
internet browsers, 119–21
interruptions, 13–14, 40–41, 49. See also distractions; multitasking
intrinsic motives, 246–48, 252, 260–61
IQ study, 39

J

James, William, 91–92
Jauhiainen, Signe, 181–82
Jitterbug (cell phone), 20, 47
Jobs, Steve, 119
Johnson, Boris, 268
Jones, Alex, 136
Joseph, Jay, 233–34
journalist massacre, 28–29
joy and pleasure
- four-day work week for, 187, 189
- free play for development of, 244, 248
Jung, Carl, 51–52
Jureidini, Jon, 176, 177

K

Kangas, Olavi, 181–82
Karlson, Gary, 252
Kellogg, W. G., 189
kidnappings, 243, 248–49
Killingsworth, Matthew, 99–100
Klein, Naomi, 271–72
Kooij, Sandra, 71
Krieger, Mike, 110, 114
kSafe, 102–3, 268

L

labor unions, 192, 277
Lanier, Jaron, 157, 170
Lanphear, Bruce, 206–7, 211–12
L.B. (student), 251–53, 254
lead exposure and poisoning, 157, 205–9, 212
learning through play, 243–48, 256–62
“le burnout,” 194–95
Ledwich, Mark, 162
Lehmann, Sune, 29–34, 277–78
Let Grow (www.letgrow.org), 248–49, 250–51, 253, 254
“Let them eat cake.,” 151
Li, James, 230–31, 234–35
lies (false news), 135–40
light exposure, sleep deprivation and, 74–76, 77
“likes and hearts,” 133
linear reading, 81–82
literacy. See sustained reading
López, Priscilla, 32
loss of sleep. See sleep deprivation

M

magic, 106–8
Maher, Barbara, 204–5
Major, John, 132
Mangen, Anne, 81, 82
manipulation. See technology design
Mar, Raymond, 86–90
Mark, Gloria, 10, 40–41, 48–49
mastery, 252–53, 256
The Matrix (film), 132
Maurici, Jodi, 253
McLuhan, Marshall, 83
McRae, Amy, 166–67
meditation, 36–37, 151, 152
melatonin, 64, 73
memory, 40, 69. See also dementia
mental detumescence, 93
mental health, 70–71, 172–73. See also ADHD symptoms; dementia
mental jet lag, 35
“mental time-travel,” 97
methamphetamine addiction, 228–29
“me time,” 189
Mettling, Bruno, 194
Microsoft, 149, 157, 189
Midgley, Thomas, 208
Miller, Earl, 37, 38–40, 41–42
Mills, Gemma, 187, 188, 190
mind-wandering, 91–104
- as author’s change strategy, 269
- author’s personal experience, 92–93, 97, 99, 100–103
- background, 91–92
- crisis of lost mind-wandering, 98–99
- description of, 95–96
- happiness associated with, 100
- research on, 99–100
- studies on, 93–97
Mona Lisa (da Vinci), 8–9
money. See financial stress
monotasking, 43, 55–56
motives (intrinsic and extrinsic), 246–48
mountain climbing, 51, 61–62
movie-ticket sales, 30
Mullainathan, Sendhil, 180–81
multitasking, 37–43
- cognitive degeneration and, 42–43
- effects of, 39–41
- examples of, 41–43
- flow states disrupted by, 56
- mind-wandering comparison, 98
- monotasking as antidote, 43
- myth of, 37–39
- switch cost effect, 38–39, 40–41, 43–44, 133

N

Naidoo, Umadevi, 202
Narayanan, Arvind, 163
narcissism, 48
Nedergaard, Maiken, 72
newspaper, reading of, 28–29, 32
New Zealand, 186, 190–91
“n-grams” detection, 31–32
Nielsen, Tore, 72–73
Nigg, Joel, 11, 202, 235, 236–37, 243
night club bouncer analogy, 43–44
Nixon, Richard, 181
No Child Left Behind Act (2002), 256
noise pollution, 44
notification settings, 146–47, 159
Nunn, Charles, 180
nutrition, 196–203
- as author’s change strategy, 270
- author’s personal experience, 196–97, 202–3
- comfort food, 202–3
- dieting, 152–54

energy spikes and crashes, 197–99
food industry and, 199–200
processed foods and additives, 199–202

nutritional psychiatry, 200–201

O

Oatley, Keith, 86
obesity rates, 11, 152–54
Odyssey (Homer), 21–22
office hours
- for emails, 146
- work week, 187–95. See also work hours
omega-3s, 201
on-call emails, 194–95
optimism, as cruel, 150–55
Orange, 194
ozone layer, 134–35, 157

P

Page, Larry, 118
Palihapitiya, Chamath, 123
paranoid schizophrenia, 173
Paris, 8–9
Parker, Sean, 122–23
patterns of association, as mind-wandering, 98
paying attention. See stolen focus
Payton, Thomas, 249
Penny, Laurie, 227
Perpetual Guardian, 186–88, 192
personality development, 244–45
Persuasive Technology Lab, 108–11, 144
PET (positron-emission tomography) scan, 94
petrol, 206, 208–9
Pew Research Center, 131
Pfeffer, Jeffrey, 190
Pinker, Steven, 183
Pinnock, Dale, 197–99, 201–2
Piscitelli, Stefan, 36
plant analogy, 273
play. See free play
pleasure. See joy and pleasure
Poincaré, Henri, 96–97
polar bears, 217–18, 219–20
political fatalism, 166
Pollan, Michael, 199, 200, 202
pollution, 204–12
- ADHD symptoms and, 204, 207, 236
- air pollution, 204–5, 212
- background, 204
- endocrine interrupters, 209–10
- future approaches to, 211–12
- lead poisoning, 157, 205–9, 212
- noise pollution, 44
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 209–10, 212
poor attention. See stolen focus
positron-emission tomography (PET) scan, 94
Posner, Michael, 13
Post-Social app, 121
pre-commitments, 21–27, 268–70
prefrontal cortex, 72
Presley, Elvis, 3–4, 70
Prichard, Roxanne, 67–69, 70, 71–72, 73
processed foods, 199–200
productivity, 97–98, 184, 186–90
profile tracking, 111, 125–28
progressive schools, 256–62
prosperity, 278–80
Provincetown (MA). See also digital detox
- author’s sightseeing experiences, 27–28, 47–49, 102
- background, 16–17, 23–25
- sandbars of, 26
- sunsets, 100–101
Prozac, 218
Przybylski, Andrew, 163
psychological profile, uses for, 111
psychology (American), 52–53, 57
Purser, Ronald, 150–52

R

rabbit holes, 112
racism, lead exposure and, 207
radicalization, 14, 136–37, 160, 162–63, 165
Raichle, Marcus, 94–95, 97, 99
Ramsay, Drew, 200–201
rape, 167
rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, 73–74
Raskin, Aza
- on “human downgrading,” 141–42
- on profile tracking, 126, 127
- on surveillance capitalism ban, 156–57, 159, 160–61, 162, 169, 170
- on tech ethical issues, 119–22
Raskin, Jef, 119
reading
- empathy and, 86–90
- flow states and, 59–60, 61, 64, 80
- as free play, 247–48, 252, 255
- linear reading, 81–82
- loss of, 9, 16
- mind-wandering and, 93, 95–96
- of newspapers, 28–29, 32
- screen reading, 81
- speed-reading studies, 35–36
- sustained reading, 79–90. See also sustained reading
- unschooling and, 258
recess, 239
Reddit, 30–31
refocusing, switch cost effect of, 38–39
reinforcements (immediate), 110, 132–33
Rentokil, 195
response (reaction) time, 66, 67, 68–69
reward response, 110, 132–33
“right to disconnect,” 194–95
Ritalin (stimulant), 174–75, 177, 217
Roanoke Avenue Elementary, 249–54
Rochester (NY), 206–7
rock climbing, 54–55
Rome (ancient), 205–6
Rosen, Larry, 42
Runnette, Jill, 209
Ryan, Richard, 246–47

S

San Francisco, 282, 283
Santiago, Raull, 137–38, 139–40, 165
Sarnecka, Barbara, 245
“scan and skim” reading, 81–82
Schmidt, Eric, 118
schools
- free play promotion at, 249–54
- No Child Left Behind Act (2002), 256
- progressive, 256–62
- standardized, 239, 255–56, 260–61
“screen inferiority,” 82
“Screen New Deal,” 272
screen reading, 81–82
screw-up effect, 39
seasonal affective disorder, 110
sedatives, 73–74
selective attention, 176
Send the Sunshine app, 110
Sesame Street (TV show), 242–43
sewers, 158
sexual assault, 174–79
The Shallows (Carr), 81
silent retreat, 27
Silicone Valley, 105–6. See also technology design
single-mindedness, 37–39
site battles, 275, 276
Skenazy, Lenore
- on culture shifts, 262–63
- on current activity trends, 245–46
- on free play, 240–43, 248–49, 253–54
- learning through play, 243–48
Skinner, B. F., 52, 57, 109, 110, 148–49
sleep deprivation
- as adaptive trait, 180
- author’s change strategies for, 269
- author’s personal experience, 63–65, 70, 76
- causes, 74–76, 180, 279
- chemically induced sleep, 64, 73–74
- consumerism and, 76–77
- crisis of, 74, 76–77
- effects of, 68–71
- purpose of sleep, 71–73
- solutions for, 77–78
- statistics, 66–67
- studies on, 65–70
slowness
- as author’s change strategy, 36, 270
- during Covid-19, 280
- of time, 28–29
slow-wave sleep, 71–72
Smallwood, Jonathan, 95–96
smartphone use
- change strategies for, 146–47
- design and, 128–29
- financial stress and, 182
- as mind-wandering interruption, 98
- sleep deprivation and, 75–76, 77
Smith, Mr., 93–94
Snapchat, 7, 114, 117
SNP heritability, 235
social bonds. See friendships
The Social Dilemma (documentary), 106
social media. See also specific companies
- algorithms and, 138–40
- anger and, 133–34, 138–40
- attention span for, 14
- author’s change strategies for, 269
- author’s personal experience, 103
- beatification filter use by, 114
- Covid-19 and, 272
- documentary on, 106
- empathy and, 89–90
- GPS analogy, 140–41
- infinite scroll and, 119–21, 159
- message in the medium, 83–86, 89–90
- reinvented, 157–60
- vacuum created by, 49–50
soothing, 226
Spain, 193
speeding-up of live. See acceleration of life
speed-reading studies, 34–35
spotlight, attention as, 91–92, 93, 96, 265
Spreng, Nathan, 95, 96–98
Sroufe, Alan, 225–26, 235
stadium lights attention layer, 266–67
Stanford University, Persuasive Technology Lab at, 108–11, 144
starlight attention layer, 265–66
“steady-state economy,” 279–80
Stewart, Ben, 274
stimulants
- for ADHD symptoms, 174–75, 177, 215, 216
- for animals, 217–21
- ethical use of, 222–24, 236–37
- learning and, 231
- research on, 227–32
- risks associated with use of, 230–31
- tolerance for, 231
- withdrawal effects, 223, 232
stolen focus
- anecdotes on, 3–8, 11, 16–17
- attention, defined, 91–92, 93, 96
- attention, forms of, 265–67
- causes. See acceleration of life; distractions; exhaustion; multitasking; nutrition; pollution; sleep deprivation; stress; technology design; work hours
- crisis of, 10–13, 14
- experts and studies on, 9, 10, 15–16
- future trends, 271–73
- individual responsibility and, 12–13
- movement to reclaim attention, 264–83. See also Attention Rebellion
- strategies for improving attention. See change strategies; digital detox; flow states; four-day work week; free play; mind-wandering
- symptoms of, 213–37. See also ADHD symptoms
Strayer, David, 41–42
“streaks,” in Snapchat, 117
stress, 171–84
- ADHD symptoms and, 173–79, 225–27, 236
- background, 171–72
- cruel optimism and, 150–51
- dreaming and, 72–73
- exhaustion and, 189
- financial stress, 180–82, 270
- mild, protracted levels of, 179–81
- mind-wandering and, 100
- parental mental health and, 172–73
- work hours and, 184. See also work stress
- work stress, 184
strikes, for shorter working hours, 191
“style transfers,” 169
Sudbury Valley School, 256–62
sugar, 199–200
sugarcane harvesters, 180–81
Sunyer, Jordi, 205
surveillance capitalism, 127–28, 156–64, 169–70, 273
sustained reading, 79–90
- author’s personal experience, 80–81
- background, 79–82
- effect on consciousness, 86–90
- reading styles, 81–82
- social media message comparison, 83–86, 89–90
switch cost effect, 38–39, 40–41, 43–44, 133
Sydney (Australia), 281–82
symphony, 99
Systrom, Kevin, 110, 114, 123

T

Taare, Amber, 187, 188
tai chi, 36
task switching. See multitasking
technology design, 105–23, 124–42. See also social media; specific Big Tech companies
- algorithms, 129–42. See also algorithms
- anger and, 131–40, 164–65. See also anger

author’s personal experience, 128
background, 105–6, 124–28
behavior and, 108–11
business models and, 113–17, 118–19, 124–28, 134, 156–62, 273
Covid-19 and, 271–72
culture shifts and, 131–32
ethical issues raised by, 111–19, 121–23, 129. See also ethical issues
future trends, 271–73
habits and, 148–49
human downgrading and, 132, 141–42
magic comparison, 106–8
Persuasive Technology Lab and, 108–11, 144
profile tracking, 111, 125–28
societal dangers, 135–40
strategy for changing, 143–55. See also change strategies
user interfaces and, 119–22

television, 75–76, 83
“ten-minute rule,” 146
texting, while driving, 41–42
Thoreau, Henry David, 23
Thorkildsen, Inga Marte, 177
TikTok, 272
time-box, 146
Time magazine, 53
time-travel (mental), 97
Timimi, Sami, 221–24, 227, 229, 232
Tonnesvang, Jan, 252–53
Toyota, 190
tracking. See technology design
trans fats, 199–200
trauma, 173–79. See also violence
trees, 212
triggers (internal), 145–46, 148–49
Trump, Donald, 111, 164, 192
24 (TV show), 74
twin studies, 232–35
Twitter
- algorithms and, 131
- collective attention span study on, 30
- false news and, 135–40
- as fast and temporary, 25–26
- infinite scroll and, 120
- message in the medium, 83–85
- reinvented, 157–58

U

Ulin, David, 80
“ultra-processed foods,” 200
unions, 192, 277
universal basic income, 181–82
unplugging. See digital detox
unschooling, 256–61

V

Valium, 218
Verbeck, Donna, 249, 251, 252
violence
- ADHD symptoms and, 173–79
- current trends, 183, 242, 243, 248–49
Vitruvius, 205
“voodoo dolls,” 126–27

W

waking drive, 75–76
Wall Street Journal, 164–65
waning light, 75–76
waste removal, during sleep, 71–72
web browsers, 119–21
website hack comparison, 266–67
white nationalists, 136–37
Wikipedia, 31
wildfires, 281–83
Williams, James
- on attention, 13–14
- on attention crisis, 282
- on change strategies, 170
- on forms of attention, 265–67
- on tech design, 105, 123, 140–41
“wired,” 16–17
women’s rights, culture shifts and, 166–68
work ethic, 246–48
work hours
- background, 185–86
- change strategy for, 270
- during Covid-19, 193
- four-day week, 187–90, 192, 193, 273–74
- personal identity and, 192
- productivity and, 97–98, 184, 186–90
- “right to disconnect,” 194–95
- weekends and vacation time, 190–92
work stress, 184

X

Xanax, 218

Y

Yang, Andrew, 181
yoga, 36–37, 178, 270
YouGov, 171–72
young adults, 10, 68
YouTube
- algorithms and, 131, 135–37, 138–39
- profile tracking through, 126
- radicalization debate, 162–63
- reinvented, 159–60

Z

zoos, 218–20
Zuboff, Shoshana, 127, 156, 170
Zuckerberg, Mark, 33, 123, 147, 165