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Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
- nipponese 6y agoYet no mention of car center console UI.
- aramachandran7 6y agoI'd imagine those are designed with keeping your focus on the road in mind, by doing things like limiting notifications to only incoming phone calls while you're driving
- asdff 6y agoHaving to navigate menu systems to change basic climate controls would say otherwise
- benhurmarcel 6y agoThen the problem is the car, not the console UI.
- swiley 6y agoUnfortunately your imagination doesn't correspond well with reality. They also display texts, have tons of different entertainment integrations, display maps etc. All with crazy high input latency, zero tactile feedback, and a completely homegrown UI to leave you constantly guessing and reading whenever you do simple things like change the radio station.
- occz 6y agoI find them particularly strange from a design perspective. If anyone here does design on car interfaces, please let me know why this is the direction you're taking, because I'm stumped. Car interfaces seem like something you would want to optimize for being able to be easily controlled without taking neither eyes nor focus off the road. This, to me, means physical interface elements with good built-in feedback (clicky buttons, notched knobs etc.). Instead, we appear to be going down a dangerous path of having everything be in a screen. How come? Sidenote: I'm generally not a big fan of voice-interfaces due to their general inferiority to 'hand-interfaces' (no muscle memory, large latency, high rate of error etc.), but as an interface in a car I think they do make some sense, given the obvious design constraint that you want the driver to focus on the road. They can't replace all functions though due to the aforementioned constraints, but other than that, this is a very fitting niche for the technology.
- judge2020 6y agoTouchscreens in cars were seen as luxury so once they became super cheap they threw them in every car with few no-screen options whatsoever. This was cemented in 2018 with a mandate for backup cameras[0] and, when you already have a screen, it makes little sense to only put a screen for the camera unless that's the market segment you're targeting (which, in itself, is small since most people are fine with touchscreens). Unless mandated, profit and sales will trump safety systems every day. Tesla-esque huge touchscreens are taking off because other infotainment systems have been the absolute worst UX of all mass-market software since forever. Tesla fixed this and is gaining market-share fast, so traditional automakers are trying to prevent more people from switching to Tesla by emulating these selling points (and some recent Mach-E footage shows that the infotainment isn't on the same level, although it is faster than SYNC 3[1]). 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup_camera#Mandates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup_camera#Mandates 1: https://youtu.be/kqHmbrE11eg?t=40 https://youtu.be/kqHmbrE11eg?t=40
- occz 6y agoInteresting - that backup camera mandate does explain it a bit. I wonder if the EU has something similar. It still doesn't excuse the lack of care with regards to design, but I now have a bit more understanding on the matter. Thanks!
- whytaka 6y agoI used to have an Apple Watch with LTE so I could go without my phone even when I left the house. Then I sold it because I started needing it much more for work. Now I'm considering getting it again just to be able to keep away from my phone at home. How low I've fallen.
- patatino 6y agoI never had an apple watch but precisely this is the reason I want one. Leave that stupid phone somewhere but still be reachable by my family.
- browningstreet 6y agoI like my Apple Watch, but I use it almost exclusively for fitness (workouts, trail running, etc). I decided early on to remove all the other things -- apps, notifications, etc. I get Messages, but that's about it. I like the balance, and it allows me to keep my phone farther away in a bag than before. Plus with the WorkOutDoors app, I can go on runs, with maps, without my iPhone. Love that.
- andrewzah 6y agoWhy not use a garmin in that case? I only use my fenix when I work out, as I strictly wear mechanical/quartz watches the rest of the time. The UX is definitely not anywhere close to an apple watch, but it is more suited for physical activity and tracking that data.
- browningstreet 6y agoI do low heart rate training for long distance running. Only iPhone apps with a chest strap or the WorkOutDoors app tell me when I’m above or below my specified heart rate zone.
- najra 6y agoI was considering a fitbit because of this, i like my mechanical watches too much. Think that might work on my other wrist, while still wearing my regular watches.
- whiddershins 6y agomay These articles really should qualify their claims more, especially in the headlines. Otherwise countless people absorb things semi-consciously as facts, rather than hypotheses that may have some data to support them.
- tbwriting 6y agoTruly curious: do you think every article based on a study showing strong evidence for something should have a title that implies "it can go either way"? Personally I would trust readers to click on the article and decide for themselves. Otherwise, it's a bit infantilizing, no?
- TameAntelope 6y agoI don't think a single study showing strong anything is of much use beyond, "Hey that's interesting, I would love to know more!" Articles summarizing studies as described should use language accordingly. Otherwise you risk certainty-addicts swarming and shouting down reasonable circumspection.
- jayd16 6y ago>article based on a study showing strong evidence You mean a blog that loosely cites two papers of unknown quality and draws novel conclusions not from the papers? Yes, it absolutely should not be stated as fact.
- ben509 6y ago> Personally I would trust readers to click on the article... This is already contrary to all available evidence.
- asdfasgasdgasdg 6y agoI believe the article ought not be written at all, since there's barely any signal. But if you have to write it, communicating the level of certainty in the title would be a virtue. At any rate, this article is marketing, not communication.
- 6y ago
- EGreg 6y agoThey tested the “brain drain” hypothesis that claims the brain has a limited capacity of cognitive resources, and the mere presence of a potential distractor can occupy some of those resources which undercut cognitive performance. Sounds like something straight out of Conan Doyle https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/lessons-from-sherlock-holmes-cultivate-what-you-know-to-optimize-how-you-decide/ https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/lessons-from... "You see," he explained, "I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has difficulty laying his hands upon it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones." "But the Solar System!" [Dr. Watson] protested. "What of the deuce is it to me?" he interrupted impatiently: "you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work." I believe that this, rather than neuroplasticity, is the main explanation for why children and teens are able to acquire language far easier than adults. The latter have far more to worry about and no one spoon feeds them words all the time.
- temp0826 6y ago>> "you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work." I really like this for a different reason. It’s one of the reasons I can appreciate flat-earthers (or other discordian-ish reality tunnels) from a slightly more philosophical standpoint: it really doesn’t matter
- bckr 6y agoI upvoted you but, also, it kind of does matter. How you orient yourself toward science and empirical experience says a lot about whether you're going to fall for some BS misinformation campaign, fail to vaccinate yourself and your children, etc...
- vegetablepotpie 6y ago> Cal Newport said it best in his book Deep Work: the ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive. The people who cultivate that skill, stay up late at night while everyone is asleep so they don’t get distracted. Then they come in late because they need sleep like every one else. As a consequence, deep thought workers are seen by their immediate and responsive counterparts as obtuse, eccentric, or worse: lazy and unable to manage their time. This really comes down to the workers dilemma. Do you spend your time marketing your self to others and letting people know your accomplishments, or do you spend the time doing work that will benefit others? Deep thought workers will bias heavily towards work that will benefit others. This benefit is often non-obvious deep thought workers will run the risk that their peers, that are more connected and more reachable, will take the credit for the results.
- robinsonrc 6y agoWhy is getting up early not considered?
- AnimalMuppet 6y agoSome do. My father did. But it's just as bad, because then you're seen as leaving early. Or you don't leave early, and are working more hours, which has a cost.
- tanseydavid 6y agoMy personal experience is that the notion "I will go in early today and leave at an appropriately early time," fails to work out as planned 90-95% of the time. But I really can only blame myself for this.
- EvilEy3 6y agoPre corona I was arriving at 7~ and leaving at 15. You can definitely do it.
- ldbooth 6y agoI tried a flip phone for a week but got tired of explaining to people why I didn't receive the picture they texted me, and I was carrying my no-SIM smartphone around for the audiobooks anyway. It does feel like taking the proverbial digital leash off, and rather than text replying I was calling everyone back for convenience. I sure have strayed socially. I shall find this middle ground and report back.
- bckr 6y agoHa, yeah we're in a really weird space right now where our tech is awesome and terrible. I wonder if it will get better. It would be cool to have like a feature phone but where the features are at current tech levels (and include maps), but there are no random notifications to manage, no social apps (instead of requiring you to have the discipline not to install them)... idk.
- scottndecker 6y agoThe LightPhone is working on getting there. I've been using it for about a year now as my primary mobile.
- ldbooth 6y agoE-ink? Brilliant.
- duggable 6y agoI read a blog post [1] the other day about someone who was using their Apple Watch as their primary "smart" device. Aside from pictures (and maybe a few other features?) you can effectively have all of the utilities of a smart phone without the temptation to get sucked into the device. I've been slowly transitioning to this and have been enjoying it so far. It doesn't really help with the notifications, but you can effectively cut out most of the noise via basic iPhone settings. [1] - https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalminimalism/comments/m730dz/i_wrote_a_little_piece_on_ditching_your_iphone/ https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalminimalism/comments/m730dz/i...
- 6y ago
- igammarays 6y agoI doubt the mere presence of the phone itself is distracting, but rather it's the fact that putting it somewhere far (or allowing it to be taken from you) requires a conscious intention and is sufficiently absurd that it triggers the novelty feeling, which helps your focus. I just put my phone away in the closet. Perhaps this will become part of my new "focus" ritual.
- airstrike 6y agoOn my busiest days I'd lock my phone in my desk drawer and put the key somewhere else. A bit radical, but it really worked
- brohoolio 6y agoI find that the mere presence of the phone is distracting. It's subtle and I didn't notice it until I physically started putting it in another room. I don't mindlessly pick it up and opening an app.
- gfxgirl 6y agowhat part do you find distracting? Does it go off with sound or vibrations? I set my phone on the table/desk and completely forget about it. 4hrs later I see I missed 6 messages, a few I would have prefer to respond to when they arrived.
- wussboy 6y agoI'd like an appliance much like some hotel rooms have where to turn the lights on you must slip your room key card in to the receptacle at the front door. I want to enter my house, pull my phone out of of my pocket and slip it into the slot in the entry way where it flips the lights on, starts charging and maybe connects to my Bluetooth speakers. Sure I can hear it but if I want to use it I need to go over there too see what's so important.
- agumonkey 6y agoI could say the same for internet connection. Whenever my ISP fails, and I'm not being hyperbolic here, my brain screams thanks. Time then slows down and I feel free to create, wander or think. I really wonder, life critical needs aside, what would happen if people had no internet for a week.
- xbar 6y agoHN reduces my ability to focus even when it doesn't distract me.
- jahnu 6y agoHave to say the pixel flip-to-shhh feature is just brilliant for me
- WhyNotHugo 6y agoI'm constantly amazed at how the mainstream population uses phones. Most people tend to have phone with alarming-notifications, so they get informed that they have a message, or email or whatever. The phone interrupts them and directs their attention. They train themselves to be controlled by their phones. I'd go crazy trying to live like that. I have no audible notifications, and vibration only for actual calls. Everything else: I'll see it when I see it. I tend to think of it as receiving a letter -- I'll see it when I check if there's any post, I don't need to be interrupted right away. Personal space and all that. It just seems so mentally unhealthy. The same applies to sleeping with your phone in the same room.
- Loughla 6y agoIt's about identifying healthy boundaries, and apparently most people can't do that when it comes to smart phones. We use ours like regular phone junkies to stay connected/dick around/navigate life throughout the work day. But we use gps/time triggers to shut off notifications during our time most likely to be used for deep focus, and/or enable airplane mode at night, when at home, on dates, or with family. That way the silence is natural, and we don't have to rely on our own self-control to do the right thing.
- ryanmcbride 6y agoI'm the same way. It's crazy when you see people out in public that are having some kind of text conversation and their phone makes a loud obnoxious beep with every message. I honestly couldn't tell you the last time my phone was off silent mode.
- judge2020 6y ago> They train themselves to be controlled by their phones. For many people this is fine because most everything can already been done online - remote work is huge, friendships and relationships are often formed exclusively through chat apps or VR, and they get most, if not all, of their entertainment from Netflix/YT/TikTok. For them, managing time spent on different services will make a bigger difference to their QOL than deciding to not use their phone.
- 2ion 6y ago
- annoyingnoob 6y agoI've been experiencing Phantom Vibration all morning. Talk about distracting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_vibration_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_vibration_syndrome
- occz 6y agoI used to experience that, but it's gone away since I moved to never having vibrations on my phone. Highly recommended!
- annoyingnoob 6y agoI took my phone out of my pocket for hours this morning, the feeling kept going. Not sure what I'm expecting.
- occz 6y agoGive it a week or so, it will pass.
- chrisbigelow 6y agoIn my experience, not having the opportunity/ability to access my phone has been the only solution that truly lets me disconnect and focus. I've been working on a locking wireless charger to keep your phone out of sight and access, I'm looking to launch soon on Indiegogo: https://pausbox.com/ https://pausbox.com/
- raghuveerdotnet 6y agoI feel "Focus" as a function of overwhelming want or overwhelming need is a better proposition than as a function of tips and tricks. I've had times when despite all the raging distractions I've got the work done because I was so invested in it and there have been times when despite being in a perfectly isolated, no distraction environment, I have failed to get the work done because there was no real urgent need for it to be done, intrinsic or otherwise. I would say work on things based on constraints, that are beyond the artificial boundary of productivity tricks, like an overwhelming desire for action or an imminent deadline from an external enforcing agent; differentiate between want, want-to-want, and have-to-want; and mainly rest well, for energy management is key in working well.
- 11235813213455 6y agothat's why I just turn it off when I don't need to call someone
- nijave 6y agoI think just about anything "more interesting" reduces my ability to focus even when not distracting me. It just-so-happens my phone has convenient access to all those things Personally, in some cases, getting rid of a single distractor helps but usually only when there's nothing else conveniently available
- Rohpakle 6y agoYou already know that your phone is a portal to distractions. Social media. SMS. Phone calls, You've probably heard or read somewhere that you should limit the amount of distraction that comes from your phone. All of that is true. So, I don't think this study says anything new.
- acd 6y agoCan we please stop calling devices which looses our ability to focus with our brains "smart"? A dumb phone might be a smart phone and a smart phone might be a dumb phone.
- tester756 6y ago20 yo with flip phone and used smartphone maybe for 2 days, ama? when it sucks: * sending photos - rarely needed for me, but when I need it I "kinda really" need it, but you can probably work around it by buying better flip phone * not seeing emojis in SMS * when you need quick access to internet e.g for map, some info. I never needed it(I try to remember pathes/ways either via map or google maps or just ask people at the place), but I'm sometimes worried that I may need it
- potatoman22 6y agoDo you find it hard to connect to people without services like FaceTime, Snapchat, Messenger, or Whatsapp? I'm a similar age and so much of my socializing takes place on digital platforms like those, especially during COVID.
- tester756 6y ago> Do you find it hard to connect to people without services like FaceTime, Snapchat, Messenger, or Whatsapp? I'm a similar age and so much of my socializing takes place on digital platforms like those, especially during COVID. Shockingly SMS works fine, nobody ever had problem with it. >Messenger I use FB like once a week on my PC/Laptop because I'm studying and unfortunely it is must have >I'm a similar age and so much of my socializing takes place on digital platforms like those, especially during COVID. on my PC/Laptop I use a lot of VoIPs like Ts3/Discord, but in 90% of the cases with people from the Internet, so it's hard to relate. You're probably right, but I do not use them (insta, snap, ...) so I'm not aware of what I do lose
- mshanowitz 6y agoAlso inability to reply to specific text messages. I find this to be a very useful feature that you only get with "smart" messaging apps like WhatsApp.
- ryanmarsh 6y agoWhen I wake up I put my phone on Do Not Disturb.
- bootlooped 6y agoOne of my favorite features of my phone is to turn on silent whenever the phone is placed face down. It's a dead simple physical action you take, and the vision of it face down is a reminder of your intent.
- fny 6y agoGeneral question: I have survived this by working solo for most of my career. Recently though, I'm faced with a barrage of emails and the expectation that they are read or answered within 20 min (!) of receipt. I much prefer answering emails within a few time slots each day. How do others manage these expectations?
- metters 6y agoI've never faced that expectation, but I would most likely not fulfill it. If every mail is important, none is...
- t-writescode 6y agoSpeak with management and adapt (to the requirements), get others to adapt (different expectations), or move on (to another job). Edit: added clarity
- eevilspock 6y ago> This cognitive capacity is critical for helping us learn, reason, and develop creative ideas. I agree. I'd like to make a related claim: We spend little time on deep moral critical thinking. Herd thinking and going with the flow is so much easier and so much sweeter. The latter is sweeter because of the positive social feedback loop -- you're far more popular. Whereas independent critical thought often goes against the grain and threatens the comfort of your herd. For example, while I support many of the "cancellations" that are happening, too many of both proponents and opponents don't dare say anything not in line with their chosen herd. There is no possibility of nuanced thought, or that it's not black and white. Too many of us forget that the mainstream morality of every era is the moral backward of the next. We wrote "All men are created equal" 245 years ago, and we're 155 years post Civil War, yet race, gender and birth class still dominate an individuals place and outcome. Going with the flow (and knee-jerk attack any counter flows) is nothing less than contributing to this societal inertia.
- augustk 6y agoResearchers also found that a "Do not miss out!" popup distracted people from reading an article about distraction.
- shaicoleman 6y agoTo enable deep work, I've started incorporating offline sessions (1 hour long on average) into my day ("offline pomodoros"). I only go back online when I need a mental break or when I'm completely blocked. It seems to help with productivity and improve my well-being. I've also got a second used phone which I use for work purposes (e.g. 2FA, Calendar reminders and production alerts) to reduce distractions. I don't find the work phone's presence to be distracting.
- rolftheperson 6y agoReading this, I realize that I am in the process of second screening myself. Who are you second screening right now?
- blonde_ocean 6y agoNot who, but what: work.
- slk500 6y agomarketing article to promote their app, looks like a spam to me
- TheAdamAndChe 6y agoMost links posted to this site are posted for a financial reason one way or another. That doesn't mean they aren't interesting or intellectually stimulating.
- cambalache 6y agoThat's 90% of the submissions here. Last time I said that I was scolded because "This was precisely the objective of this site"
- shric 6y agoI've had this problem for years, outside of the phone factor. For this very reason, as others have said, I keep my phone on so not disturb 24/7 except if my wife calls. However, open offices drive me nuts because of the mere threat of a potential interrupt, even if in practice it may happen only once or twice a day.
- kfrane 6y agoI've found a very interesting result in one of the papers[1] they linked in the article. The group of people with the highest phone dependence have the highest available cognitive capacity score when they leave their phone in another room (see Figure 3. Experiment 2). Somewhat absurdly, this would suggest that the best strategy would be to get hooked on notifications and then consciously leaving your phone in another room when you need to work/focus. [1] https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/64130/braindrain.pdf https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/64...
- haddr 6y agoThere is somehow related posting from 3 years ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21906727 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21906727
- radicalriddler 6y agoI bought a cheap dumb nokia on Wednesday, and have left the iPhone at home. I still reach for my pocket to browse reddit, but then remember that the site actually fails to load because it uses more memory than the phone has. Of course, I miss out on group messages, at least they come to me alone, so I have to piece together like a puzzle what people are saying. Ah well.
- chemmail 6y agoAlso this just in, you can get wet when there is water near you.
- eyelidlessness 6y agoFor two years now I have kept very strict rules keeping my phone away from my person. They’re not overly imposing and I probably spend more time on my phone than a lot of people here. But the strictness is really helpful for me: 1. I don’t even look at my phone or anything it would present to me until my puppy is fed and walked and I have coffee in me. 2. I don’t look at it while I’m in motion unless there’s no other option (ie calling a ride or clarifying meatspace meeting arrangements). 3. I don’t look at my phone indoors unless there’s a physical need (ie it needs to be plugged into something else). Phone time is porch time. I also try not to look at it from dinner time til bedtime but that’s less strict. It’s limited mostly by spending most of that time engaged with said puppy.
- StanislavPetrov 6y agoMy flip phone isn't a source of distraction.
- realradicalwash 6y agothis constant urge to check your phone, I don't think it's much different from an OCD. OCDs constantly interrupt the normal flow of one's thought processes with obsessive, intrusive interjections ("you are dirty", "did I do x/y?", "maybe you are gay", etc). that's what apps have instilled into our minds: a constant urge that interrupts our thought processes, so that we check fb, WA, gmail, etc. I switched all notifications off and I still have this, less than previously, but still. I am thinking of going back to a brick phone because of that.
- DavideNL 6y ago> Will is the Cofounder & CEO of Rize, a simple, intelligent time tracker that improves your focus to help you become more productive. An app to improve focus. Yet another app.
- Psype 6y agoGet a smartwatch. Not kidding. It might sound stupid, but since I have a smartwatch and only filter the mot important notifications on it (calls, SMS), all other notifications can sit on my phone & wait for hours. Whatever. I still can be reached in an emergency. I don't event check my phone to get the time, duh, that's a watch !
- neop1x 6y agoOr a fitness band like MiBand. It works similarly and battery lasts almost a month.
- bootlooped 6y agoI have a strategy of layered speedbumps to screwing around on my digital devices. Next DNS to block some time wasting sites wholesale, Leechblock to limit time use on certain websites or during certain time frames, and Digital Wellbeing to time block whole apps and keep track of my usage. It would take me 1 minute to turn all of that off, but the time to instant gratification on a stock phone is so rapid, all I find I need is a very minor hindrance and it helps a lot. If every time I unlocked my phone it had a screen that displayed for 30 seconds that just said "what are you doing right now, and how long do you intend to do it?" I think it would probably have a similar positive effect.
- yarsanich 6y ago> If every time I unlocked my phone it had a screen that displayed for 30 seconds that just said "what are you doing right now, and how long do you intend to do it?" I think it would probably have a similar positive effect. I created and app for that. Called Actuflow.
- whywhywhywhy 6y agoAs the years go on my relationship with my iPhone feels more and more negative. Actually starting to hate it and the buzz of it gives me anxiety it might be some more problems from work.