Eric Liu: I'm really glad to be back with you, Eric. As I've said before, you're one of my favorite guests so I'm always happy when we get a chance to talk. We're going to get to your book, Stolen Focus, Why You Can't Pay Attention in just a minute. But before we do, let's start the way we always do, which is we start with that parable.
Johann Hari is a writer and journalist. He has written for the New York Times, Le Monde, the Guardian, and other newspapers and his TED talks have been viewed over seventy million times. His work has been praised by a broad range of people, from Oprah Winfrey to Noam Chomsky to Joe Rogan.
Eric and Johann discuss his book, Stolen Focus Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again
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Johann Hari and I Discuss Stolen Focus and Attention and…
- His book, Stolen Focus Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again
- His experience of spending 3 months with no internet or smartphone
- The negative effects of consuming too much of social media
- How the evidence is showing we are in an attention crisis
- The deep forces at work that are damaging our attention
- Understanding the two levels of response to the attention crisis; individual and collective
- Cruel optimism is offering a simple solution to complex problems that may not work
- The alternative to cruel optimism is bringing awareness to the many layers of the problem
- How the human brain can only think about one thing at a time
- The negative effects of multitasking, or the switch cost-effect
- The debate between being “pro” tech and “anti” tech
- The damaging effects of the current business models of social media designed to steal people’s attention
- How technology could be used to heal and aid your attention rather than steal it
- How the current model of economic growth contributes to dwindling attention
- His thoughts on the need for an attention movement to resist the forces invading our attention
Johann Hari Links:
Stolen Focus Book Website
Johann’s Website
Twitter
Instagram
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If you enjoyed this conversation with Johann Hari you might also enjoy these other episodes:
Johann Hari (2015 Interview)
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