15 ms·

Regaining control of your attention

223 points by cmod 10y ago

triangletodd 10y ago
I genuinely expected this article to contain a single sentence that read, "stop reading hacker news at work".
- EnFinlay 10y ago
  Don't tell me how to live!
  - HugoDaniel 10y ago
    spread anarchy[0] [0] https://i.imgur.com/NIqQB.jpg https://i.imgur.com/NIqQB.jpg
    - RUG3Y 10y ago
      Oh God, Imgur is crossing over into HN now. I don't think I'm ever going to escape the black hole that is the internet.
vorotato 10y ago
Regaining control of your attention doesn't mean not using your phone. It means being self-aware. The author is relying on a crutch. Not using the phone is just removing a single source of distraction, it does nothing to actually help attention regulation. It's like saying, I fixed my impulse issues by never walking in to gas stations, so now I don't have to worry about buying lottery tickets! You didn't fix your impulse issues, they're still 100% there.
- vorotato 10y ago
  I mean reducing the negative impacts of being out of control is great, but the technology didn't make the author out of control. The author was out of control before the technology got there, and the technology merely empowered him in a way that aggravated his pre-existing condition. The solution is to develop awareness.
- iak8god 10y ago
  The "impulse issues" are reinforced by the phone. I've very often noticed when I've set aside my phone for a few hours (the rest of the evening until bed or whatever) that I have to literally set it aside at some distance from myself because otherwise it ends up in my hand without my even consciously deciding to check it. It's like a reflex. And then once it's safely at a distance, I repeatedly experience the urge to check it whenever I don't happen to be very focused on something else. The frequency of that urge diminishes over the course of a few hours and is accompanied by an increase in my ability to focus on something else for stretches of time. Sometimes I've even taken a weekend offline completely, and the effects are even more pronounced, and they last beyond the offline time. This is what the author means by "attention is a muscle". It's not that there's some baseline impulse issue and the device is merely an outlet. The device is causing the issue, or at least exacerbating it.
  - vorotato 10y ago
    The device aggravates this issue only because the author is unconscious enough that they aren't even aware they are making a decision to use or not use the phone. While it may be a necessary step to take a break from something that captures your attention, it's important to be able to be aware of your behavior and your desires independent of the context. A person should be mindful when they choose to spend time on the phone of what they are deciding to consume. The phone is not a magical device, it just has a lower effort barrier and so unconscious behavior is easier. It doesn't mean one can't be aware of what they're doing while using it. It also doesn't mean that one can't use the device while developing awareness.
    - iak8god 10y ago
      I think we pretty much agree here. For me the best way to remain aware is to periodically abstain, and the effects on my awareness persist after the abstinence.
      - vorotato 10y ago
        I turned of notifications of all kinds 99% of them were not worth clicking. I do periodically abstain, but I when I do use I try to stay self-aware. I mentally keep track of how long I've spent, and what I spent my time doing. I then periodically ask if I thought the previous 15 minutes was spent doing something I was interested in or if I was just on autopilot / guided by clickbait. I still use my phone a LOT, but I definitely am doing more of what I enjoy, and reading things that are more meaningful to me.
- afarrell 10y ago
  > The Author is relying on a crutch... You still didn't fix the underlying issues So? This would be an actionable observation if it was possible for someone with the problem to fix the underlying issues. But neurology just isn't there yet. Until it is, your best bet is crutches like the author uses or: - https://selfcontrolapp.com/ https://selfcontrolapp.com/ - https://freedom.to/ https://freedom.to/ Alongside getting 9 hours of sleep at the same time every night and 30 minutes of vigorous exercise every day.
  - vorotato 10y ago
    I mean sure if you have a mental health condition like ADHD, but studies have shown that most with ADHD can still steer their awareness it's just much harder. If you literally cannot be aware of your behavior while using your phone, that's a issue, and medicine can help. Healthy adults can be self aware it just takes some conscious effort. Many with ADHD (especially with the help of medication) can become more aware of their behavior through practice often paired with cognitive behavioral therapy, and live happier more reposeful lives while still using their phones.
    - afarrell 10y ago
      Those tools are valuable but a lot harder to access and more expensive.
      - vorotato 10y ago
        Sure. That's very true. CBT can be done and has shown some success with lay practitioners in non-american countries. However that's not as widely available. Awareness meditation is also looking hopeful for ADHD, but more evidence needs to come up for it to be definitively conclusive. I'm not saying don't use the tools you talked about. I'm not saying don't take breaks from consumption. Just next time you do choose to consume try to maintain awareness of what you're doing. You might find some small success in guiding what you choose to do.
  - vorotato 10y ago
    Please keep in mind, I'm not saying don't use crutches. People with broken legs should use crutches. Just don't use crutches after you gain the ability to walk without them. I do think it's better to every 10 minutes try to question what you did, and whether it was something you wanted to do, or did because you were on autopilot rather than just turning the device off.
- AngrySkillzz 10y ago
  Interestingly, that is the opposite of what I've seen in the scientific literature. Trait self-control seems to better relate to removing temptations from our lives via planning rather than having a high threshold for resistance. People who identify as "having good self-control" tend to have fewer strong desires and weaker resistance. Tellingly, trait self-control also doesn't seem to change the relationship between resistance and enactment. So people with self-control are just as likely to succumb to temptation when it is present, but less likely to be confronted by temptation in the first place. Check out Hofmann et al. Everyday Temptations for an example (2011).
  - vorotato 10y ago
    I'm not arguing that people need better self control, just that they need to be aware of what they're doing so they can do what they want. There's nothing wrong with browsing facebook for 10 hours if that's what you wanted to do each step of the way. This isn't like abstaining from something you want, it's choosing between two things you want.
  - vorotato 10y ago
    There is a very critical flaw in that though, people who identify as having good self-control don't necessarily actually have good self-control. Just like people who identify at being good at basketball aren't necessarily good at basketball. That doesn't imply one can't get better at playing basketball through practice.
    - AngrySkillzz 10y ago
      I was not quite precise saying it is self-reported; it was measured through a 10 item questionnaire that is self reported. Still, it's not watertight (as is often the case in psychology research). I'm just encouraging you to consider that your view may be flawed or incomplete, that's all.
  - vorotato 10y ago
    Also, I'm not recommending not to abstain. I'm only pointing out that abstaining alone will not develop practice in executive control and attention regulation. If the phone is too attention grabbing, there are other ways of developing attention regulation.
- halspero 10y ago
  Hear. Hear. Such habits are only bad if they are used as a means to avoid important problems. Attend to those problems! Then the habit will continue or die away according to its merits.
- beat 10y ago
  A better analogy is alcoholics who go completely sober. You could argue that it's merely a matter of self-discipline to just have one drink and not get hammered, but... if it's easier to just stop drinking altogether, what's wrong with that? Quitting the internet on your phone is much the same. It's no merely a matter of discipline, it's a matter of addiction.
- ksk 10y ago
  You can't tell someone they're doing it wrong if what they're doing works for them. At the very least, if you aim to convince someone of a better way, you can't lead with that statement.
- dwaltrip 10y ago
  Your advice has some very useful aspects to it. However, It's good to be practical. If removing distractions entirely is noticeably helpful, then why not do it on occasion? One can also work on increasing self-awareness at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive. I would guess that a combination of both approaches would be beneficial for most people. I've personally found benefits from both approaches.
- cellularmitosis 10y ago
  His solution extends beyond his phone. This was the solution he came up with: * The internet goes off before bed. * The internet doesn’t return until after lunch.
greenspot 10y ago
OT: What are these sub brands from Medium like Backchannel and Hackernoon? Are there more sub brands/communities and why did Medium create them?
- ianburrell 10y ago
  Backchannel and Hackernoon are separate publications that are hosted on Medium. Backchannel is owned by Wired, and Hackernoon by AMI Publications.
edblarney 10y ago
Is there an App that gets rid of all technology? :)
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- lightedman 10y ago
  There are a couple of pieces of technology that can do it - though the general end-result is we're extinct as well.
- SuperPaintMan 10y ago
  Apple Wave. Heard there was a Android port in the works.
rwc 10y ago
Admittedly off-topic, but why add unnecessarily ignorant asides (in the first sentence to boot): "...I lived on the grounds of an old estate down in central Virginia, next to a town called — terrifyingly — Lynchburg..." ...when a 10-second Google search reveals the less-than-terrifying reality: First settled in 1757, Lynchburg was named for its founder, John Lynch, who at the age of 17 started a ferry service at a ford across the James River to carry traffic to and from New London.
- ryandvm 10y ago
  Knowledge has never been a prerequisite to prejudice.
  - andrei_says_ 10y ago
    Sarcastic, smug and highly quotable, all in one. Wonderful.
- gph 10y ago
  Plus it's not like Lynchburg is some tiny unheard of town. It's actually a decent sized city, and it's fairly well known for being home to Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. Not to mention the history both in Lynchburg and the surrounding area from Revolutionary times to the Civil War. It's like being surprised that there's a city called Reading in England. "Must be a bunch of libraries there".
  - eru 10y ago
    For non-locals: Reading (town) and Reading (verb) are pronounced differently. (And don't even try to guess how Leicester is pronounced from the spelling.)
    - jdmichal 10y ago
      For those whose curiosity was piqued: Reading - /rɛdɪŋ/ or "red-ing" Leicester - /lɛstər/ or "less-ter" No idea how they worked out that second one, and Wikipedia isn't too helpful there.
dredmorbius 10y ago
Rivality is the counterpoint of virality. Information is free. Attention is inherently rivalrous. The author, Craig Mod, seems to get this: Time boxed disconnection has proven to be both generative and — most importantly — sustainable. Time-boxing is setting bounds on attention. Depending on what you do, it can be difficult to enforce -- some types of creative work simply want to expand to fill time, and rebuilding state is difficult. If that work requires online access ... beware the manfalls. Attention is a muscle. It must be exercised. Muscles also need recovery time. Alvin Toffler's Futurshock is one of the earliest works I've seen which seems to grasp that intellectual effort has similar bounds. There's also Gleick's The Information, which notes the opposition of information and attention.
dom0 10y ago
It's rather ironic to see this title on the front page of HN.
michaelchisari 10y ago
Mario is finite, bounded. The edges are clear. You pay once, and there’s no other way for Nintendo to extract money from you. No single player is a mark. There are no whales. In Mario you can not only see the end but get there. My favorite games to play on my phone are those made by Square Enix. Final fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest, lots of classic remakes. They range from $6.99 to $20.99, which made people balk when Square Enix first starting publishing on mobile, but you pay once, and you get a full game to play, no bullshit. Once again, cheap is better than free. Pay a few dollars and never get bothered again by ads or pay-to-play, but most importantly, you don't feel like you're being manipulated by a never-ending game that starts to feel much more like work than play.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- johnchristopher 10y ago
  > Once again, cheap is better than free. Pay a few dollars and never get bothered again by ads or pay-to-play, but most importantly, you don't feel like you're being manipulated by a never-ending game that starts to feel much more like work than play. But old school/classical ff games always have that grinding and levelling part where it also feels more like work than play. Games from before were also designed to be addictive (whether it was intentional or not).
  - michaelchisari 10y ago
    Sure, there's points where you grind experience, but it's towards the goal of finishing the game. Grinding experience and leveling up aren't the game itself.
    - abakker 10y ago
      That is true, kind of, but grinding efficiently was probably the very first time I learned the lesson "work smart, not hard". There is a microcosm of reality in grinding which I think is why some of those games ultimately felt more rewarding than ones that omit it. I don't want the time I spent playing Diablo II back, it was worth it. I can't say the same for some other titles I've played.
canadian_voter 10y ago
“We believe that we live in the ‘age of information'. That there has been an information ‘explosion,’ an information ‘revolution.’ While in a certain narrow sense this is the case, in many important ways just the opposite is true. We also live at a moment of deep ignorance, when vital knowledge that humans have always possessed about who we are and where we live seems beyond our reach. An Unenlightenment. An age of missing information.” -- Bill McKibben, The Age of Missing Information, 1992 McKibben's book, just like Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death, is even more relevant to the internet age than the television age. There is something insidious about "information" that's doled out like slot tokens at a casino. Something dangerous about "facts" that are carefully designed to fit with what we want to believe. Something manipulative about "teaching" that is designed to fit through the gaps in our mental defenses for the benefit of the "teacher". This week I've met otherwise "normal" people who are flat-earthers, anti-vaccers, and who believe Hillary is a Satanist and Trump is the "Bringer of Light". But ultimately who cares if your hairdresser is an anti-vaccer, or your tennis partner is a flat-earther? Does it really matter if that cute girl at the check-out is an anti-Semite? Does it harm anyone if the guy building your deck believes in zero-point energy? So long as people fulfill their economic roles quietly and efficiently, does it really matter what's in their hearts and minds? It's all relative isn't it?
- ffggvv 10y ago
  Sometimes I wonder, what if earth is really flat? What if we thought we were right but instead we were the flat-earthers? What is truth?? EDIT: Well if Trump takes us to war, we will see a lot of fireworks /s.
  - b_emery 10y ago
    > Sometimes I wonder, what if earth is really flat? Feel free to prove it to yourself: http://www.popsci.com/10-ways-you-can-prove-earth-is-round http://www.popsci.com/10-ways-you-can-prove-earth-is-round
    - RUG3Y 10y ago
      I know he got downvoted to hell but he's making a solid point. Of course the Earth is not flat, but there are times when the consensus view proves to be incorrect. In 100 years, who knows what "truths" we hold to today will be proven to be falsehoods?
d883kd8 10y ago
> Before palatable young white guys who say “bruh” with alarming frequency spun daily monologues into Sony HD cams for audiences of millions? This is racist
- cellularmitosis 10y ago
  Did he say that all white guys say "bruh"? Or is he talking about the subset who say "bruh"?
TYPE_FASTER 10y ago
This book, a good read about the invention and adoption of the telegraph, includes references to information overload from the 1800's. https://www.amazon.com/Victorian-Internet-Remarkable-Nineteenth-line/dp/162040592X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484338680&sr=8-1&keywords=victorian+internet https://www.amazon.com/Victorian-Internet-Remarkable-Ninetee...
tdaltonc 10y ago
We just finished making an app for people looking to use apps less and in a more intentional way. http://YouJustNeedSpace.com http://YouJustNeedSpace.com We had to launch it as a web app because Apple said an app that encourages you to use other apps or your phone less is not appropriate for the app store.
- graeme 10y ago
  >We had to launch it as a web app because Apple said an app that encourages you to use other apps or your phone less is not appropriate for the app store. Really? That's the sort of app I'd pay for. Ideally, I'd spend less time on my phone, and more time on my (apple) computer. Pretty shortsighted of apple. Product feedback: I don't really know what it does, or how it does it. I accessed this on a computer, so I couldn't preview. Just got my ipad, so I had a look. Interesting idea. I actually switched to launching all apps via spotlight typed commands though, so I don't think I can use it. The spotlight method did reduce a lot of impulse use though.
  - RAB1138 10y ago
    Thanks! We're working on the chrome extension too.
  - tdaltonc 10y ago
    > That's the sort of app I'd pay for. Good new! You can! We use Stripe. I'm sure our conversion rate is a lot lower than if we were in the app store. But it's still possible for people who love it to help us keep working on it.
    - graeme 10y ago
      Oh, I wrote it before the "feedback" section. I think I'll stick with my spotlight launch method, as it removes the physical action urge entirely. Do you think it would be useful to add a physical item nonetheless?
      - 10y ago
hrayr 10y ago
Regaining control presumes you had control to begin with. I'd wager having little control over attention has been the default mode for couple generations. The world is full of distractions that start from childhood. Gaining control over attention requires awareness and a more deliberate effort, through meditation or the like.
abandonliberty 10y ago
Go to Cuba. Internet is only available in hotel lobbies and government parks. It runs you 3$/hr. However, be warned that Cuba (including Havana and the resorts) is a machine designed to extract money from foreigners. While you can get by for <$15/day, the government recommends $100. It's the only place where Rick Steeves gave up on his 'travel like a local' creed and went with private drivers and the touristic experience. He was right. It's nearly impossible to find an authentic experience in Havana. They'll tell you anything to make you happy and get your money. Even the family I stayed with - who I assisted with translations, technology, and donations - tried to rip me off on my last day. It's just business. Treat it like a great retro theme park. Ride around in classic american cars, walk around entirely safe at all hours, and overpay for everything. The art, music, and architecture/decay is awesome. Just don't take it too seriously :)
- markdown 10y ago
  Just a reminder, folks: this is one anecdote (or two, if you count the Steeves one he included). How'd you feel if your city was summed up thus with buckets of tar and a great big brush?
- superflyguy 10y ago
  Reminds me of a friend who travelled to both the US and Cuba, and got a kick out of each saying how evil the other was!
raintrees 10y ago
An aside point of curiosity: That is quite a dictionary at the end of the HTML...
spuz 10y ago
Are there any tools that allow you to enforce such things as 'internet only in the afternoon'? I would pay a ridiculous amount of money for a router that could disable access to certain websites according to time based or usage based rules and something equivalent for my phone. I would build it myself but I'm always just too damn distr...
- gregpilling 10y ago
  yes, included with many routers http://www.linksys.com/ph/support-article?articleNum=136710 http://www.linksys.com/ph/support-article?articleNum=136710
- tdaltonc 10y ago
  We built an app that doesn't do exactly but, but it's similar. Instead of focusing on external restrictions, it reprograms your mind to make you less distractible. http://YouJustNeedSpace.com http://YouJustNeedSpace.com
yomly 10y ago
How to regain my attention span... Quit HN /s ... /s
- superflyguy 10y ago
  You just have to make choices. I made a change a few years ago so this is literally the only place I read online discussions (because the signal to noise ratio is generally acceptable). I've dumped reddit, Twitter etc and the inevitable comments section at the end of every page on a news site. It gives me more time to read proper writing (books) or just stare out of the window and think. I still use instant messages but just not on my phone so they wait until I'm home. I can always phone or text someone if it's urgent (this hasn't happened yet).
bootload 10y ago
"Did I have it before Twitter became a demagogue’s pulpit? When it was just a few of us, goofing around?" If I had two points to up-vote a story, I'd give it to this story. I have always been in the fight to maintain attention. I can remember cutting the wires to a radio to maintain focus, studying for school. For me the question I ask is, "How do I work on the Internet, but not be sucked down the addictive ^attention^ sucking black-hole?". This article is looking for this balance. [0] [0] I also note, pg updated his article "Disconnecting Distraction" noting the techniques he thought would work, do not. http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html
magice 10y ago
I hate hate hate, bitterly, angrily, and even desperately, those fetishes about a better, nicer, more innocent past. We all heard it; we all partake in the orgy of present-bashing and past-glorying before. However, let's wake up and, seriously, get our attention back to the present. Look, yoga and meditation have existed for a looooooong time. And guess what, for every time period, be it modern "over-loaded" time or ancient time, only a handful of people can master them. And what are they? Oh, yeah, attention controlling. I mean, if the past is so focused and attentive, shouldn't everyone be meditation master? Shouldn't people be super productive and focused and attain greatness? Guess what, they don't. What does that imply? It implies this: please, for the love of progress, stop your whining and start appreciating how much luck and resources you have access to today. Please. Pretty please. And what's with the fetish against "algorithm"? I despite those who take regular but uncommon concepts and make a demon/angel out of them. Algorithm, simply put, is how to calculate something or how to solve a problem. Sorry, algorithms do not have "tendrils". They neither scheme against you nor love you. Think about it: if you trip over a rock, does it "conspire" against you? If you burn time on some game, don't blame the game, please. Blame the publisher, maybe. Don't blame the poor tech. It does nothing but to please you. Back to time and attention. Is it challenging to keep my attention in today fast pace world? Sure it is. How easier compared to starving world of the old? Or racist world? Or back-breaking labor (think agriculture before advent of machine and fertilizer)? Luckily, I have not been made to find out. Very luckily. And I think everyone can appreciate that luck. I always appreciate advices on control of attention and focus. I might not find them valuable (I frankly feel like I can focus just fine with emails singing their songs, for example, so I don't need to completely cut cord). But I would not make a statement against those. I need all the ideas and advices: attention is very hard to control. However, the whining and fetishizing and conspiracy theorizing must stop. Please. One nation have voted for economic regression while another elected a racist bigot as their First Citizen. Why? Because of all of those whining and fetishizing and conspiracy theories. So, please, stop. For the love of progress, stop.
- morgante 10y ago
  "It is, unfortunately, one of the chief characteristics of modern business to be always in a hurry. In olden times it was different."
RichardHeart 10y ago
http://stopgaming.reddit.com http://stopgaming.reddit.com helps some people out. I made a video about why gaming sucks and how you should make real life your game instead. I was shocked that people actually liked it. It's interesting that he also mentions twitter and facebook but the comments here seem to skip the social media angles. I wonder if we feel subconsciously collectively that gaming has done us more harm than social media. I know it has done me more harm.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
mark_l_watson 10y ago
In her book "Quiet" Susan Cain covers the topic of introversion and productivity. Recommended. Personally, I find turning off my cellphone and email client to be adequate to work into my schedule several quiet thinking times a week. I usually hike with friends a few times a week but I also use long solo hikes as another resource for thinking.
sidcool 10y ago
I, one of the millennials, find it difficult to focus, both at home and at work. Mobile chats, Slack, Hangouts etc. drains all the focus. It's difficult to get back in the zone. One moment you are chatting with your wife, in a deep meaningful conversation, the next you are checking WhatsApp or FB for a dopamine rush. I like what Louis CK says about it. Not his exact words. "Just because something is out there, doesn't mean it has to be done. It's OK to feel sadness and loneliness. Through the experience we get the beauty of clarity. But we douse it with a quick rush we get from a like or a mention." I am equally a culprit.
laredo312 10y ago
If human nature is to take the path of least resistance, then it really comes down to "Friction vs frictionless." "Distractions," e.g. Twitter, are engineered to be as frictionless as possible -- low effort, quick dopamine fixes. It is on us to engineer meaningful tasks to have as little friction as possible. Doesn't have to be complicated: 1. Mute notifications 2. Install Chrome "Timewarp" extension 3. Break work down into bite-sized tasks Some sources of friction are less obvious, and require studying the problem. E.g for me, I found: 1. Perfectionism 2. Fear of not knowing/mental fog (the kind you encounter when learning something new) 3. Fear of futility (that your efforts are in vain) 4. Not knowing where to begin To be strong sources of friction, so I actively work to reduce them.
- gopher2 10y ago
  That's quite interesting how you think about tasks you want to do with "sources of friction" that way. How did you go about studying/identifying the less obvious sources?
  - laredo312 10y ago
    Probably read them on a blog and made the connection later when I was searching for reasons why I keep procrastinating. Putting a convincing name to the mental force that holds you back gives you something to fight/say no to. Or you can pretend it doesn't exist and hope it goes away (doesn't work for me).

223 points by cmod 10y ago

triangletodd 10y ago

I genuinely expected this article to contain a single sentence that read, "stop reading hacker news at work".

EnFinlay 10y ago
Don't tell me how to live!
- HugoDaniel 10y ago
  spread anarchy[0] [0] https://i.imgur.com/NIqQB.jpg https://i.imgur.com/NIqQB.jpg
  - RUG3Y 10y ago
    Oh God, Imgur is crossing over into HN now. I don't think I'm ever going to escape the black hole that is the internet.

vorotato 10y ago

Regaining control of your attention doesn't mean not using your phone. It means being self-aware. The author is relying on a crutch. Not using the phone is just removing a single source of distraction, it does nothing to actually help attention regulation. It's like saying, I fixed my impulse issues by never walking in to gas stations, so now I don't have to worry about buying lottery tickets! You didn't fix your impulse issues, they're still 100% there.

vorotato 10y ago
I mean reducing the negative impacts of being out of control is great, but the technology didn't make the author out of control. The author was out of control before the technology got there, and the technology merely empowered him in a way that aggravated his pre-existing condition. The solution is to develop awareness.
iak8god 10y ago
The "impulse issues" are reinforced by the phone. I've very often noticed when I've set aside my phone for a few hours (the rest of the evening until bed or whatever) that I have to literally set it aside at some distance from myself because otherwise it ends up in my hand without my even consciously deciding to check it. It's like a reflex. And then once it's safely at a distance, I repeatedly experience the urge to check it whenever I don't happen to be very focused on something else. The frequency of that urge diminishes over the course of a few hours and is accompanied by an increase in my ability to focus on something else for stretches of time. Sometimes I've even taken a weekend offline completely, and the effects are even more pronounced, and they last beyond the offline time. This is what the author means by "attention is a muscle". It's not that there's some baseline impulse issue and the device is merely an outlet. The device is causing the issue, or at least exacerbating it.
- vorotato 10y ago
  The device aggravates this issue only because the author is unconscious enough that they aren't even aware they are making a decision to use or not use the phone. While it may be a necessary step to take a break from something that captures your attention, it's important to be able to be aware of your behavior and your desires independent of the context. A person should be mindful when they choose to spend time on the phone of what they are deciding to consume. The phone is not a magical device, it just has a lower effort barrier and so unconscious behavior is easier. It doesn't mean one can't be aware of what they're doing while using it. It also doesn't mean that one can't use the device while developing awareness.
  - iak8god 10y ago
    I think we pretty much agree here. For me the best way to remain aware is to periodically abstain, and the effects on my awareness persist after the abstinence.
    - vorotato 10y ago
      I turned of notifications of all kinds 99% of them were not worth clicking. I do periodically abstain, but I when I do use I try to stay self-aware. I mentally keep track of how long I've spent, and what I spent my time doing. I then periodically ask if I thought the previous 15 minutes was spent doing something I was interested in or if I was just on autopilot / guided by clickbait. I still use my phone a LOT, but I definitely am doing more of what I enjoy, and reading things that are more meaningful to me.
afarrell 10y ago
> The Author is relying on a crutch... You still didn't fix the underlying issues So? This would be an actionable observation if it was possible for someone with the problem to fix the underlying issues. But neurology just isn't there yet. Until it is, your best bet is crutches like the author uses or: - https://selfcontrolapp.com/ https://selfcontrolapp.com/ - https://freedom.to/ https://freedom.to/ Alongside getting 9 hours of sleep at the same time every night and 30 minutes of vigorous exercise every day.
- vorotato 10y ago
  I mean sure if you have a mental health condition like ADHD, but studies have shown that most with ADHD can still steer their awareness it's just much harder. If you literally cannot be aware of your behavior while using your phone, that's a issue, and medicine can help. Healthy adults can be self aware it just takes some conscious effort. Many with ADHD (especially with the help of medication) can become more aware of their behavior through practice often paired with cognitive behavioral therapy, and live happier more reposeful lives while still using their phones.
  - afarrell 10y ago
    Those tools are valuable but a lot harder to access and more expensive.
    - vorotato 10y ago
      Sure. That's very true. CBT can be done and has shown some success with lay practitioners in non-american countries. However that's not as widely available. Awareness meditation is also looking hopeful for ADHD, but more evidence needs to come up for it to be definitively conclusive. I'm not saying don't use the tools you talked about. I'm not saying don't take breaks from consumption. Just next time you do choose to consume try to maintain awareness of what you're doing. You might find some small success in guiding what you choose to do.
- vorotato 10y ago
  Please keep in mind, I'm not saying don't use crutches. People with broken legs should use crutches. Just don't use crutches after you gain the ability to walk without them. I do think it's better to every 10 minutes try to question what you did, and whether it was something you wanted to do, or did because you were on autopilot rather than just turning the device off.
AngrySkillzz 10y ago
Interestingly, that is the opposite of what I've seen in the scientific literature. Trait self-control seems to better relate to removing temptations from our lives via planning rather than having a high threshold for resistance. People who identify as "having good self-control" tend to have fewer strong desires and weaker resistance. Tellingly, trait self-control also doesn't seem to change the relationship between resistance and enactment. So people with self-control are just as likely to succumb to temptation when it is present, but less likely to be confronted by temptation in the first place. Check out Hofmann et al. Everyday Temptations for an example (2011).
- vorotato 10y ago
  I'm not arguing that people need better self control, just that they need to be aware of what they're doing so they can do what they want. There's nothing wrong with browsing facebook for 10 hours if that's what you wanted to do each step of the way. This isn't like abstaining from something you want, it's choosing between two things you want.
- vorotato 10y ago
  There is a very critical flaw in that though, people who identify as having good self-control don't necessarily actually have good self-control. Just like people who identify at being good at basketball aren't necessarily good at basketball. That doesn't imply one can't get better at playing basketball through practice.
  - AngrySkillzz 10y ago
    I was not quite precise saying it is self-reported; it was measured through a 10 item questionnaire that is self reported. Still, it's not watertight (as is often the case in psychology research). I'm just encouraging you to consider that your view may be flawed or incomplete, that's all.
- vorotato 10y ago
  Also, I'm not recommending not to abstain. I'm only pointing out that abstaining alone will not develop practice in executive control and attention regulation. If the phone is too attention grabbing, there are other ways of developing attention regulation.
halspero 10y ago
Hear. Hear. Such habits are only bad if they are used as a means to avoid important problems. Attend to those problems! Then the habit will continue or die away according to its merits.
beat 10y ago
A better analogy is alcoholics who go completely sober. You could argue that it's merely a matter of self-discipline to just have one drink and not get hammered, but... if it's easier to just stop drinking altogether, what's wrong with that? Quitting the internet on your phone is much the same. It's no merely a matter of discipline, it's a matter of addiction.
ksk 10y ago
You can't tell someone they're doing it wrong if what they're doing works for them. At the very least, if you aim to convince someone of a better way, you can't lead with that statement.
dwaltrip 10y ago
Your advice has some very useful aspects to it. However, It's good to be practical. If removing distractions entirely is noticeably helpful, then why not do it on occasion? One can also work on increasing self-awareness at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive. I would guess that a combination of both approaches would be beneficial for most people. I've personally found benefits from both approaches.
cellularmitosis 10y ago
His solution extends beyond his phone. This was the solution he came up with: * The internet goes off before bed. * The internet doesn’t return until after lunch.

greenspot 10y ago

OT: What are these sub brands from Medium like Backchannel and Hackernoon? Are there more sub brands/communities and why did Medium create them?

ianburrell 10y ago
Backchannel and Hackernoon are separate publications that are hosted on Medium. Backchannel is owned by Wired, and Hackernoon by AMI Publications.

edblarney 10y ago

Is there an App that gets rid of all technology? :)

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
lightedman 10y ago
There are a couple of pieces of technology that can do it - though the general end-result is we're extinct as well.
SuperPaintMan 10y ago
Apple Wave. Heard there was a Android port in the works.

rwc 10y ago

Admittedly off-topic, but why add unnecessarily ignorant asides (in the first sentence to boot): "...I lived on the grounds of an old estate down in central Virginia, next to a town called — terrifyingly — Lynchburg..." ...when a 10-second Google search reveals the less-than-terrifying reality: First settled in 1757, Lynchburg was named for its founder, John Lynch, who at the age of 17 started a ferry service at a ford across the James River to carry traffic to and from New London.

ryandvm 10y ago
Knowledge has never been a prerequisite to prejudice.
- andrei_says_ 10y ago
  Sarcastic, smug and highly quotable, all in one. Wonderful.
gph 10y ago
Plus it's not like Lynchburg is some tiny unheard of town. It's actually a decent sized city, and it's fairly well known for being home to Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. Not to mention the history both in Lynchburg and the surrounding area from Revolutionary times to the Civil War. It's like being surprised that there's a city called Reading in England. "Must be a bunch of libraries there".
- eru 10y ago
  For non-locals: Reading (town) and Reading (verb) are pronounced differently. (And don't even try to guess how Leicester is pronounced from the spelling.)
  - jdmichal 10y ago
    For those whose curiosity was piqued: Reading - /rɛdɪŋ/ or "red-ing" Leicester - /lɛstər/ or "less-ter" No idea how they worked out that second one, and Wikipedia isn't too helpful there.

dredmorbius 10y ago

Rivality is the counterpoint of virality. Information is free. Attention is inherently rivalrous. The author, Craig Mod, seems to get this: Time boxed disconnection has proven to be both generative and — most importantly — sustainable. Time-boxing is setting bounds on attention. Depending on what you do, it can be difficult to enforce -- some types of creative work simply want to expand to fill time, and rebuilding state is difficult. If that work requires online access ... beware the manfalls. Attention is a muscle. It must be exercised. Muscles also need recovery time. Alvin Toffler's Futurshock is one of the earliest works I've seen which seems to grasp that intellectual effort has similar bounds. There's also Gleick's The Information, which notes the opposition of information and attention.

dom0 10y ago

It's rather ironic to see this title on the front page of HN.

michaelchisari 10y ago

Mario is finite, bounded. The edges are clear. You pay once, and there’s no other way for Nintendo to extract money from you. No single player is a mark. There are no whales. In Mario you can not only see the end but get there. My favorite games to play on my phone are those made by Square Enix. Final fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest, lots of classic remakes. They range from $6.99 to $20.99, which made people balk when Square Enix first starting publishing on mobile, but you pay once, and you get a full game to play, no bullshit. Once again, cheap is better than free. Pay a few dollars and never get bothered again by ads or pay-to-play, but most importantly, you don't feel like you're being manipulated by a never-ending game that starts to feel much more like work than play.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
johnchristopher 10y ago
> Once again, cheap is better than free. Pay a few dollars and never get bothered again by ads or pay-to-play, but most importantly, you don't feel like you're being manipulated by a never-ending game that starts to feel much more like work than play. But old school/classical ff games always have that grinding and levelling part where it also feels more like work than play. Games from before were also designed to be addictive (whether it was intentional or not).
- michaelchisari 10y ago
  Sure, there's points where you grind experience, but it's towards the goal of finishing the game. Grinding experience and leveling up aren't the game itself.
  - abakker 10y ago
    That is true, kind of, but grinding efficiently was probably the very first time I learned the lesson "work smart, not hard". There is a microcosm of reality in grinding which I think is why some of those games ultimately felt more rewarding than ones that omit it. I don't want the time I spent playing Diablo II back, it was worth it. I can't say the same for some other titles I've played.

canadian_voter 10y ago

“We believe that we live in the ‘age of information'. That there has been an information ‘explosion,’ an information ‘revolution.’ While in a certain narrow sense this is the case, in many important ways just the opposite is true. We also live at a moment of deep ignorance, when vital knowledge that humans have always possessed about who we are and where we live seems beyond our reach. An Unenlightenment. An age of missing information.” -- Bill McKibben, The Age of Missing Information, 1992 McKibben's book, just like Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death, is even more relevant to the internet age than the television age. There is something insidious about "information" that's doled out like slot tokens at a casino. Something dangerous about "facts" that are carefully designed to fit with what we want to believe. Something manipulative about "teaching" that is designed to fit through the gaps in our mental defenses for the benefit of the "teacher". This week I've met otherwise "normal" people who are flat-earthers, anti-vaccers, and who believe Hillary is a Satanist and Trump is the "Bringer of Light". But ultimately who cares if your hairdresser is an anti-vaccer, or your tennis partner is a flat-earther? Does it really matter if that cute girl at the check-out is an anti-Semite? Does it harm anyone if the guy building your deck believes in zero-point energy? So long as people fulfill their economic roles quietly and efficiently, does it really matter what's in their hearts and minds? It's all relative isn't it?

ffggvv 10y ago
Sometimes I wonder, what if earth is really flat? What if we thought we were right but instead we were the flat-earthers? What is truth?? EDIT: Well if Trump takes us to war, we will see a lot of fireworks /s.
- b_emery 10y ago
  > Sometimes I wonder, what if earth is really flat? Feel free to prove it to yourself: http://www.popsci.com/10-ways-you-can-prove-earth-is-round http://www.popsci.com/10-ways-you-can-prove-earth-is-round
  - RUG3Y 10y ago
    I know he got downvoted to hell but he's making a solid point. Of course the Earth is not flat, but there are times when the consensus view proves to be incorrect. In 100 years, who knows what "truths" we hold to today will be proven to be falsehoods?

d883kd8 10y ago

> Before palatable young white guys who say “bruh” with alarming frequency spun daily monologues into Sony HD cams for audiences of millions? This is racist

cellularmitosis 10y ago
Did he say that all white guys say "bruh"? Or is he talking about the subset who say "bruh"?

TYPE_FASTER 10y ago

This book, a good read about the invention and adoption of the telegraph, includes references to information overload from the 1800's. https://www.amazon.com/Victorian-Internet-Remarkable-Nineteenth-line/dp/162040592X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484338680&sr=8-1&keywords=victorian+internet https://www.amazon.com/Victorian-Internet-Remarkable-Ninetee...

tdaltonc 10y ago

We just finished making an app for people looking to use apps less and in a more intentional way. http://YouJustNeedSpace.com http://YouJustNeedSpace.com We had to launch it as a web app because Apple said an app that encourages you to use other apps or your phone less is not appropriate for the app store.

graeme 10y ago
>We had to launch it as a web app because Apple said an app that encourages you to use other apps or your phone less is not appropriate for the app store. Really? That's the sort of app I'd pay for. Ideally, I'd spend less time on my phone, and more time on my (apple) computer. Pretty shortsighted of apple. Product feedback: I don't really know what it does, or how it does it. I accessed this on a computer, so I couldn't preview. Just got my ipad, so I had a look. Interesting idea. I actually switched to launching all apps via spotlight typed commands though, so I don't think I can use it. The spotlight method did reduce a lot of impulse use though.
- RAB1138 10y ago
  Thanks! We're working on the chrome extension too.
- tdaltonc 10y ago
  > That's the sort of app I'd pay for. Good new! You can! We use Stripe. I'm sure our conversion rate is a lot lower than if we were in the app store. But it's still possible for people who love it to help us keep working on it.
  - graeme 10y ago
    Oh, I wrote it before the "feedback" section. I think I'll stick with my spotlight launch method, as it removes the physical action urge entirely. Do you think it would be useful to add a physical item nonetheless?
    - 10y ago

hrayr 10y ago

Regaining control presumes you had control to begin with. I'd wager having little control over attention has been the default mode for couple generations. The world is full of distractions that start from childhood. Gaining control over attention requires awareness and a more deliberate effort, through meditation or the like.

abandonliberty 10y ago

Go to Cuba. Internet is only available in hotel lobbies and government parks. It runs you 3$/hr. However, be warned that Cuba (including Havana and the resorts) is a machine designed to extract money from foreigners. While you can get by for <$15/day, the government recommends $100. It's the only place where Rick Steeves gave up on his 'travel like a local' creed and went with private drivers and the touristic experience. He was right. It's nearly impossible to find an authentic experience in Havana. They'll tell you anything to make you happy and get your money. Even the family I stayed with - who I assisted with translations, technology, and donations - tried to rip me off on my last day. It's just business. Treat it like a great retro theme park. Ride around in classic american cars, walk around entirely safe at all hours, and overpay for everything. The art, music, and architecture/decay is awesome. Just don't take it too seriously :)

markdown 10y ago
Just a reminder, folks: this is one anecdote (or two, if you count the Steeves one he included). How'd you feel if your city was summed up thus with buckets of tar and a great big brush?
superflyguy 10y ago
Reminds me of a friend who travelled to both the US and Cuba, and got a kick out of each saying how evil the other was!

raintrees 10y ago

An aside point of curiosity: That is quite a dictionary at the end of the HTML...

spuz 10y ago

Are there any tools that allow you to enforce such things as 'internet only in the afternoon'? I would pay a ridiculous amount of money for a router that could disable access to certain websites according to time based or usage based rules and something equivalent for my phone. I would build it myself but I'm always just too damn distr...

gregpilling 10y ago
yes, included with many routers http://www.linksys.com/ph/support-article?articleNum=136710 http://www.linksys.com/ph/support-article?articleNum=136710
tdaltonc 10y ago
We built an app that doesn't do exactly but, but it's similar. Instead of focusing on external restrictions, it reprograms your mind to make you less distractible. http://YouJustNeedSpace.com http://YouJustNeedSpace.com

yomly 10y ago

How to regain my attention span... Quit HN /s ... /s

superflyguy 10y ago
You just have to make choices. I made a change a few years ago so this is literally the only place I read online discussions (because the signal to noise ratio is generally acceptable). I've dumped reddit, Twitter etc and the inevitable comments section at the end of every page on a news site. It gives me more time to read proper writing (books) or just stare out of the window and think. I still use instant messages but just not on my phone so they wait until I'm home. I can always phone or text someone if it's urgent (this hasn't happened yet).

bootload 10y ago

"Did I have it before Twitter became a demagogue’s pulpit? When it was just a few of us, goofing around?" If I had two points to up-vote a story, I'd give it to this story. I have always been in the fight to maintain attention. I can remember cutting the wires to a radio to maintain focus, studying for school. For me the question I ask is, "How do I work on the Internet, but not be sucked down the addictive ^attention^ sucking black-hole?". This article is looking for this balance. [0] [0] I also note, pg updated his article "Disconnecting Distraction" noting the techniques he thought would work, do not. http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html

magice 10y ago

I hate hate hate, bitterly, angrily, and even desperately, those fetishes about a better, nicer, more innocent past. We all heard it; we all partake in the orgy of present-bashing and past-glorying before. However, let's wake up and, seriously, get our attention back to the present. Look, yoga and meditation have existed for a looooooong time. And guess what, for every time period, be it modern "over-loaded" time or ancient time, only a handful of people can master them. And what are they? Oh, yeah, attention controlling. I mean, if the past is so focused and attentive, shouldn't everyone be meditation master? Shouldn't people be super productive and focused and attain greatness? Guess what, they don't. What does that imply? It implies this: please, for the love of progress, stop your whining and start appreciating how much luck and resources you have access to today. Please. Pretty please. And what's with the fetish against "algorithm"? I despite those who take regular but uncommon concepts and make a demon/angel out of them. Algorithm, simply put, is how to calculate something or how to solve a problem. Sorry, algorithms do not have "tendrils". They neither scheme against you nor love you. Think about it: if you trip over a rock, does it "conspire" against you? If you burn time on some game, don't blame the game, please. Blame the publisher, maybe. Don't blame the poor tech. It does nothing but to please you. Back to time and attention. Is it challenging to keep my attention in today fast pace world? Sure it is. How easier compared to starving world of the old? Or racist world? Or back-breaking labor (think agriculture before advent of machine and fertilizer)? Luckily, I have not been made to find out. Very luckily. And I think everyone can appreciate that luck. I always appreciate advices on control of attention and focus. I might not find them valuable (I frankly feel like I can focus just fine with emails singing their songs, for example, so I don't need to completely cut cord). But I would not make a statement against those. I need all the ideas and advices: attention is very hard to control. However, the whining and fetishizing and conspiracy theorizing must stop. Please. One nation have voted for economic regression while another elected a racist bigot as their First Citizen. Why? Because of all of those whining and fetishizing and conspiracy theories. So, please, stop. For the love of progress, stop.

morgante 10y ago
"It is, unfortunately, one of the chief characteristics of modern business to be always in a hurry. In olden times it was different."

RichardHeart 10y ago

http://stopgaming.reddit.com http://stopgaming.reddit.com helps some people out. I made a video about why gaming sucks and how you should make real life your game instead. I was shocked that people actually liked it. It's interesting that he also mentions twitter and facebook but the comments here seem to skip the social media angles. I wonder if we feel subconsciously collectively that gaming has done us more harm than social media. I know it has done me more harm.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

mark_l_watson 10y ago

In her book "Quiet" Susan Cain covers the topic of introversion and productivity. Recommended. Personally, I find turning off my cellphone and email client to be adequate to work into my schedule several quiet thinking times a week. I usually hike with friends a few times a week but I also use long solo hikes as another resource for thinking.

sidcool 10y ago

I, one of the millennials, find it difficult to focus, both at home and at work. Mobile chats, Slack, Hangouts etc. drains all the focus. It's difficult to get back in the zone. One moment you are chatting with your wife, in a deep meaningful conversation, the next you are checking WhatsApp or FB for a dopamine rush. I like what Louis CK says about it. Not his exact words. "Just because something is out there, doesn't mean it has to be done. It's OK to feel sadness and loneliness. Through the experience we get the beauty of clarity. But we douse it with a quick rush we get from a like or a mention." I am equally a culprit.

laredo312 10y ago

If human nature is to take the path of least resistance, then it really comes down to "Friction vs frictionless." "Distractions," e.g. Twitter, are engineered to be as frictionless as possible -- low effort, quick dopamine fixes. It is on us to engineer meaningful tasks to have as little friction as possible. Doesn't have to be complicated: 1. Mute notifications 2. Install Chrome "Timewarp" extension 3. Break work down into bite-sized tasks Some sources of friction are less obvious, and require studying the problem. E.g for me, I found: 1. Perfectionism 2. Fear of not knowing/mental fog (the kind you encounter when learning something new) 3. Fear of futility (that your efforts are in vain) 4. Not knowing where to begin To be strong sources of friction, so I actively work to reduce them.

gopher2 10y ago
That's quite interesting how you think about tasks you want to do with "sources of friction" that way. How did you go about studying/identifying the less obvious sources?
- laredo312 10y ago
  Probably read them on a blog and made the connection later when I was searching for reasons why I keep procrastinating. Putting a convincing name to the mental force that holds you back gives you something to fight/say no to. Or you can pretend it doesn't exist and hope it goes away (doesn't work for me).