The Happy Engineer | Career Success for Engineering Leadership

203: Overcoming Digital Addiction in Today's Digital Age with Jennie Ketcham Crooks | Anxiety & OCD Specialist

Jan 13, 2025

Dive into the pressing issue of digital addiction and its impact on creativity and relationships, especially within engineering. An anxiety specialist discusses the necessity of digital minimalism and mindful screen time for personal and professional growth. Engage in thought-provoking conversations about the challenges of disinformation, the importance of evaluating beliefs, and embracing discomfort for transformation. Practical solutions for conquering distractions and fostering meaningful connections in a tech-saturated world are shared, empowering listeners towards a fulfilling life.

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Intro

00:00 • 4min

Exploring the Impact of Digital Addiction

03:44 • 2min

Mindful Screen Time: Navigating Digital Connections

05:16 • 21min

Navigating Digital Disinformation

26:01 • 3min

Exploring Belief Change through Experiential Learning

29:22 • 4min

Embracing Discomfort for Growth

33:38 • 19min

Embracing Digital Minimalism for a Fulfilling Life

52:13 • 2min

Conquering Digital Addiction

54:05 • 11min

Designing Your Path to Career and Life Success

01:05:10 • 4min

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In this episode, we tackle one of the biggest issues in engineering and tech: digital addiction.

Digital screen use throttles our creativity and heightens our anxiety - a bad mix for engineering leadership today, and worse for the leaders of tomorrow.

Jennie Ketcham Crooks, an anxiety and OCD specialist from Seattle, explores in her research how pervasive smartphone and device use impacts us on both a career and cultural level.

She has been featured as a guest lecturer at Harvard University, and has recently appeared on a number of popular television shows from Headline News and The View, to Oprah.

As our digital overconsumption continues to be fed with the release of each shiny new gadget, it’s become increasingly challenging to put down our screens and interact meaningfully with the world and people around us. This constant barrage of digital engagement negatively affects both the quality of our relationships and our mental health.

Jenny and I discuss her new book, 'Look Up: A 30 Day Path to Digital Minimalism and Real Life Maximalism', which offers practical steps to eliminate the negative effects of digital overload.

So press play and let’s chat…!

> Full Show Notes, Resources, & More

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