ReThinking ReThinking: The truth about the attention crisis with historian Daniel Immerwahr
69 snips
Jul 29, 2025 
Daniel Immerwahr, a history professor at Northwestern University and award-winning author, dives deep into the myth of our dwindling attention spans. He counters the narrative that technology is the villain, arguing that our focus has merely shifted. The conversation spans historical panics over attention, the surprising cognitive benefits of video games, and whether engaging with Marvel movies can be justified. Immerwahr prompts us to rethink how we perceive distraction and the evolving nature of our interests.
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Attention Crisis Contradictions
- We're in an age of both shortened attention on some things and lengthened focus on others.
- The current attention crisis claims contradict each other: polarized microtribes show deep obsession, not lack of focus.
19th Century Tech Panic
- Nathaniel Hawthorne compared the kitchen stove replacing the open hearth to modern tech harming social life.
- He feared that without communal gathering, social bonds and real conversation would erode.
Attention Is Task-Specific
- Attention isn't an innate capacity but task-dependent and influenced by motivation.
- People can focus deeply on tasks they care about but lose interest quickly on tasks they dislike.
