Brad Hook Podcast [Guide] Why You Can’t Focus Anymore – And How to Fix It
Aug 12, 2025
Discover why your attention span is plummeting and how social media is designed like a casino to keep you hooked. Explore the concept of 'attention residue' and its impact on your cognitive ability. Learn about the Lethe Effect, a phenomenon causing you to forget what you just saw. Delve into how repetitive scrolling can warp your perception of time. Finally, pick up practical strategies to reclaim your focus and add meaning to your life. It's time to take control of your attention and embrace a more fulfilling existence.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Time Is Irrecoverable And Undervalued
- Time is irrecoverable and we routinely give it away to distraction without noticing.
- Brad Hook frames modern distraction as not just lost minutes but an erosion of how we perceive and value time.
Attention Collapse Mirrors IQ Reversal
- IQ gains reversed and attention spans shrank around the rise of digital distraction after 2000.
- Brad Hook links these shifts to overstimulation and frequent task switching that creates attention residue.
Attention Residue Slows Every Switch
- The prefrontal cortex tires with repeated switches and leaves attention residue that slows follow-up tasks.
- This physiological cost explains why people feel foggy and fail to return to prior work.