Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud What our shrinking attention span means for art and entertainment
Sep 1, 2025
Vass Bednar, a tech and policy expert, and Siva Vaidhyanathan, a media studies professor, dive into the crisis of our shrinking attention spans. They discuss how smartphones shift our relationship with art and literature, advocating for deeper engagement over superficial consumption. The guests share strategies to combat digital distractions, emphasizing mindfulness and authentic reading. They also critique how modern media manipulates our focus, highlighting that shallow engagement can hinder societal awareness and artistic appreciation.
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Host's Phone Moment
- Elamin admits he often checks his phone a few pages into a book or minutes into a movie and wonders who decided to open it.
- The guests promise to keep phones away during the conversation to focus attention.
Editor Missing His Child's Words
- Elamin recounts Ben Smith memorizing his son's words because he was buried in his phone and then repeating them back.
- That story illustrates how phone use can mediate and degrade real-time family interactions.
Convenience As A Dominant Value
- Siva argues that apps mainly prioritize convenience and efficiency, reshaping life around speed.
- He warns that valuing convenience above other goods produces a meaner, faster life that convenience tools won't fix.