Why useful tools still exhaust us

Welcome to episode #1017 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

At a time when technology promises limitless capability yet leaves so many people mentally depleted, the question is no longer whether digital tools are powerful, but whether we know how to live with them. Paul Leonardi is a leading expert on digital transformation, the future of work, and organizational networks, with more than two decades of research and advisory work focused on how technology reshapes collaboration, innovation, and human behavior. A professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he holds the Duca Family Endowed Chair and chairs the Department of Technology Management, Paul has advised Fortune 500 companies, startups, and nonprofits on navigating the people side of technological change. His work has shaped global conversations, translating rigorous research into practical frameworks leaders can actually use. His latest book, Digital Exhaustion - Simple Rules For Reclaiming Your Life, confronts a growing paradox of modern work and life: technologies that make everything possible are also wearing us down. Drawing on years of research and real-world observation, Paul explains why digital exhaustion isn't simply about screen time, but about constant task switching, inference-making in data-saturated environments, and the emotional toll of being perpetually reachable. He examines how capitalist incentives and addictive design amplify fatigue, why generational differences don't offer immunity, and how the collapse of clear boundaries between work, home, and identity has created a new baseline of psychological strain. Rather than advocating withdrawal or digital detoxes, Paul offers a more realistic path rooted in intentionality, clearer norms, and conscious choices about which tools deserve our attention. His work reframes exhaustion not as personal failure, but as a systemic condition that can be managed through better design, better habits, and a more humane relationship with technology. Enjoy the conversation…

• Running time: 1:02:56.
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• Here is my conversation with Paul Leonardi.
• Digital Exhaustion - Simple Rules For Reclaiming Your Life.
• The Digital Mindset.
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Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction to Digital Exhaustion. (02:48) - The Dark Side of Technology. (06:13) - The Role of Capitalism in Digital Overwhelm. (09:00) - Generational Perspectives on Technology. (11:55) - The Search for Baselines in Digital Interaction. (14:54) - The Psychological and Physical Aspects of Exhaustion. (17:46) - Addiction to Technology. (20:55) - Strategies for Managing Digital Tools. (23:52) - The Complexity of Productivity in the Digital Age. (26:51) - The Future of AI and Digital Interaction. (32:37) - The Data Arms Race and Human Representation. (34:58) - The Shift from Attention to Intimacy Economy. (38:02) - Default Urgency and Social Norms in Communication. (42:19) - The Power of Intentional Response. (46:00) - Attention Span: Short vs. Long. (53:02) - The Joy of Missing Out vs. Fear of Missing Out. (56:35) - Parenting in the Age of Social Media.