On "Digital Trances" and Reclaiming Our Attention
Finding freedom in the attention economy, removing dynamic newsfeeds, and getting through LA fires
Hi friend,
Over the past few years, I've noticed how our attention has become commodified and hijacked by media and technology:
Communication delays among friends and colleagues who are typically prompt in their replies
Friends getting lost in longer doom-scrolling sessions, leading to more pessimistic views of the world (especially post-election)
Social media and media outlets sensationalizing events with catchy soundbites and recycled perspectives to maximize engagement
An increasing number of people glued to their phones in public spaces
Our technology has advanced to the point where it’s hard to recognize when it takes control of our attention. I've found myself using my phone for what feels like minutes, only to realize hours have passed – entering “digital trance.”
For businesses that depend on our attention, like social media and news outlets, our time is commodified into ad revenue.
For businesses that rely on our spending, like e-commerce and digital software companies, out attention is hijacked to boost sales.
In his book Stolen Focus, Johann Hari shares an eye-opening perspective:
“The more people stared at their phones, the more money these companies made… The people in Silicon Valley did not want to design gadgets and websites that would dissolve people’s attention spans. They’re not the Joker, trying to sow chaos and make us dumb. They spend a lot of their own time meditating and doing yoga. They often ban their own kids from using the sites and gadgets they design, and send them instead to tech-free Montessori schools. But their business model can only succeed if they take steps to dominate the attention spans of the wider society. It’s not their goal, any more than ExxonMobil deliberately wants to melt the Arctic. But it’s an inescapable effect of their current business model.”
During my time at Apple, I witnessed product teams hiring PhD graduates to infuse addictive behaviors into product and customer experiences. They would cherry-pick scholars with extensive (and specific) research to help solve particular business or behavioral challenges. I found it remarkable. (at the time)
Apple would go on to create some of the most addictive devices (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch) and ones that would commodify even our very senses (Apple Vision Pro).
The problem…
Today, the average smartphone is loaded with over 80 apps and demands more than four hours of our day:
Increase of 250% since 2014
Consumes 25% of our waking hours (after accounting for 8-hours of sleep)
Severely impacts younger generation, including Gen Z spending 6.5 hours a day on their devices — 40% of their waking hours.
And when we consider our computers, smart homes, vehicles, and health trackers, technology is woven into every aspect of our lives – not so great for our attention.
What we’re seeing…
Declining face-to-face interactions, reading, and non-digital hobbies
Increasing social isolation, loneliness, and health issues, including sleep disruption and musculoskeletal problems
What I’m doing about it…
to reclaim time and attention through conscious effort and managing technologies. Some things that have helped:
Stepping away from social media and avoiding apps that encourage endless scrolling
Setting aside technology-free Saturdays for disconnection
Reducing multitasking to focus deeply on activities like exercising, cooking, and playing with our dog, Cecil
Staying present and resisting the urge to document everything digitally
Have you experienced these “digital trances”?
How do you manage your attention in this tech-driven world?
Life updates
Hired two new full timers at Stranger Creative 🎉
Moved my partner in this month 🏡
Grateful my family in LA was safe & sound after the fires 😮💨
For the Community
NYC, 3/18: Our advisor, George, is hosting Angry Hour in Brooklyn to support the Innocence Project and connect like-minded people & mission driven orgs together
Recommendations
Chrome plugin: Newsfeed Eradicator removes dynamic social feeds from your browser (transformed the way I browse the web)
Book: The Sirens' Call: How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource by Chris Hayes chronicles the history of our attention economy and how it’s broken our society (and what we can do about it)
App: Sparktoro helps us with audience research and social insights (great for marketing agencies & research firms)
For more favorite things, check out the full favorites list
As always, thanks for reading!
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With Metta (loving-kindness),
Steven
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Brought to you by friends at Stranger Creative & published in New York City, traditional lands of Mohican & Munsee Lenape tribes.