This chapter explores how smartphones and apps fragment our attention, train us to be more distractible, and contribute to decreased memory and overall well-being. It also discusses the role of dopamine in driving phone usage and the addictive nature of certain apps, as well as our fascination with consuming anxiety-inducing content.
If you’ve made a resolution to spend less time on your phone this year, help is at hand. The Guardian has launched a new newsletter, Reclaim your brain. Its co-writer and expert coach Catherine Price tells Madeleine Finlay how her own excessive phone use inspired her to investigate the science behind our relationships with our devices, and what we know about how to break the cycle. And Prof Barbara Sahakian of Cambridge University explains why many of us are drawn to looking at bad news on our phones, and what it’s doing to us. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod