STOLEN FOCUS: Why You Can't Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again

by Johann Hari

We are facing a global attention crisis, with more and more people losing the ability to focus deeply. Some get so lost in the digital world that they feel disconnected from reality.  In  Stolen Focus, Johann Hari shares his insights after doing a 3-month digital detox, and interviewing 250 experts worldwide.  He explains the reasons you might have trouble concentrating, the serious individual and societal consequences of our attention crisis, and what you can do about it.

In this summary, you'll learn:

• The 12 factors stealing your focus, including: information-overload and task-switching, obstruction of flow, sleep deprivation, decline of deep reading, loss of mind-wandering, technology hijacking our focus (a function of surveillance capitalism), the illusion of personal control, stress and hypervigilance, poor diet, pollution, ineffective responses to ADHD, and a modern lifestyle that's restricting children's growth.

• Specific steps you can take to address these factors at a personal level, as well as the changes we need to collectively create at a systemic level.

Who should read this:
• People who want to improve their personal focus and effectiveness.
• Anyone who feels overwhelmed by digital distractions, digital devices, or who uses social media and technology regularly.