Hari states this premise in the introduction to Stolen Focus: ‍ 'This is a systemic problem.

Each of us is responsible for our behavior, but we must contend with the force of a trillion-dollar empire. The rising inability to concentrate is not a problem of discipline. Note: Passages from Stolen Focus are in italics and quotation marks.

We must remember the adage, 'If you don't pay for the product, you are the product,' while considering if the effects of these platforms are worth the benefits of embracing unregulated technology designed for addiction. The trillion-dollar social empire has been shown to stoke anxiety and outrage in its users while exploiting their neurochemical reward pathways, resulting in the alteration of 4.5 billion brains. On average, adults fare no better, with studies showing they remain on task for just three minutes and never work for more than 30 minutes straight, with each interruption costing them 23 minutes and 15 seconds.įurther studies reveal that technological distractions cause twice the drop in IQ than smoking marijuana and produce a level of cognitive impairment comparable to that of a drunk driver. Rather than gaining our attention, they discovered that getting us addicted to seeking attention from others was more lucrative.Īs a result, 50% of teens now prefer a broken bone to a broken phone, while 11 to 14-year-old girls are experiencing a 170% increase in depressive symptoms. The increasing inability to focus is not due to a lack of self-discipline but the result of a deliberate plan to manipulate human behavior and self-esteem.Ģ019 saw Tristan Harris, a technology ethicist, testify before the United States Senate, explaining how we can each aspire to have self-control, but on the other side of that screen sits thousands of engineers working against us.īy anticipating how to keep us hooked, the platforms could crawl deeper down our brain stems, exploiting our social validation triggers. If you enjoy this summary, please consider buying me a coffee to caffeinate my reading sessions. īuy Stolen Focus: Print | Kindle | Audiobook

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