How to Be Awesome at Your Job 1112: How to Beat Digital Exhaustion and Reclaim Your Energy with Paul Leonardi
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Nov 20, 2025 Paul Leonardi, Duca Family Professor of Technology Management at UC Santa Barbara, dives into the pressing issue of digital exhaustion. He outlines how mindless scrolling and multitasking can wear us down despite technological advancements meant to help. Paul reveals two hidden forces contributing to our fatigue and shares how reducing attention-switching can reclaim our energy. He emphasizes the importance of choosing the right tools for different tasks and offers strategies for intentional device use to combat burnout.
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What Digital Exhaustion Feels Like
- Digital exhaustion feels like mid-day scrolling, disengagement, and soreness despite liking your work.
- Paul Leonardi frames it as being worn out by constant communication, tools, and data.
Exhaustion Has Grown Over Time
- Reported exhaustion scores roughly doubled from ~2.5 in 2000–2001 to above 5 in 2022.
- Two major inflection points were ~2010 (smartphones/social media) and ~2021 (post-COVID remote work).
Two Hidden Forces Behind Exhaustion
- Two hidden forces drive exhaustion: attention switching and inference making.
- Technologies increase rapid task switches and create residue that makes reorientation costly.
