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Digital Exhaustion: How to Reclaim Your Energy in an Always-On World

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Oct 22, 2025
Join Paul Leonardi, a Professor of Technology Management at UC Santa Barbara and author of 'Digital Exhaustion,' as he explores the draining effects of our always-on digital world. He defines digital exhaustion and illustrates how simple morning routines can lead to cognitive depletion. Leonardi discusses the chaos caused by tool proliferation and shares an inspiring case of decluttering tech tools that significantly reduced exhaustion. He also highlights the need for boundaries and offers practical rules for reestablishing a healthier relationship with technology.
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INSIGHT

Exhaustion Is Physics, Not Failure

  • Exhaustion from devices is a physiological depletion, not personal failure.
  • Constant attention switches burn metabolic energy and create cognitive depletion.
INSIGHT

Tools Multiply Faster Than Capacity

  • New tools multiply faster than our brain can manage, fragmenting attention across platforms.
  • Fragmentation, not just volume, drives much of digital exhaustion.
ANECDOTE

Marketing Specialist Who Cut Tools

  • Shireen listed 36 daily digital tools and felt instantly exhausted by the list.
  • She cut tools strategically and reduced her exhaustion score by about 40% in six months.
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