Stolen Focus

We live in an age where every moment is filled with pings, notifications, and a constant sense of busyness. Many people feel they can’t settle their minds long enough to read a few pages of a book or carry on an uninterrupted conversation. This surge of distractions can leave us anxious and perpetually restless.

The author argues that our relationship with technology is not simply about personal discipline; it’s also shaped by deeper systemic forces designed to hijack our focus. Instead of blaming ourselves, we should look at how society and Big Tech businesses encourage us to be perpetually ‘engaged’—often in exhausting and addictive ways.

Throughout this journey, we’ll see how factors like stress, lack of sleep, work overload, and changes in childhood all undermine our capacity to think clearly. This first section lays out the book’s central question: what happened to our attention, and how can we reclaim it? The chapters ahead outline the science behind focus and the everyday steps we can take to make lasting improvements.

Modern life demands we juggle countless distractions—from email alerts to social media notifications—so we continually switch tasks. Brain research shows “multitasking” isn’t real; it’s rapid switching that tires the mind. The more frequently we switch, the more mental resources we burn up, creating confusion and stress.

The shift toward fast-paced apps and endless scrolling is no accident. Many technology platforms are designed to keep us online longer, hooked into feedback loops of likes, shares, and fleeting dopamine hits. People often realize they spend hours on social sites but feel powerless to disconnect.

In addition, long work hours and a ‘busyness is success’ culture push us to do more in less time. With scarce moments for reflection, we struggle to find calm or clarity. This environment leaves us mentally scattered, fueling the sense that our attention is broken. However, understanding the roots of these pressures is the first step to protecting our focus.