The Attention Fix: How to Focus in a World That Wants to Distract You

by Anders Hansen

“Anders Hansen’s work is the antidote to our modern-day struggles.”—Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, author of The Stress Solution

Take charge of your attention and break free from the digital overload with The Attention Fix by internationally bestselling, award-winning psychiatrist Dr. Anders Hansen.

In this powerful guide, Dr. Hansen provides groundbreaking strategies to reclaim your focus and mental well-being. Unveiling the evolutionary reason for our distractibility, The Attention Fix sheds light on the toll our constant connection to smartphones and digital devices takes on our mental well-being. Backed by extensive research and studies, Dr. Hansen’s insights are scientifically proven and enriched through his exploration of the intricacies of the human brain. With The Attention Fix, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of the latest scientific research on the brain and the true effects of unrestricted social media use, breaking free from the cycle of mindless scrolling and demotivation. Curb your addiction to screens and cultivate deep, single-task focus to experience a renewed sense of happiness, improved health, and enhanced productivity.

Break free from the addiction cycle of mindless scrolling and demotivation utilizing Dr. Hansen’s groundbreaking strategies.Dr. Hansen’s expertise and insights are trusted by renowned experts and influential figures in mental health, fitness, and overall well-being. Learn about the latest scientific research on the brain as you gain a comprehensive understanding of the true effects of unrestricted social media use. Cure smartphone addiction and cultivate attention management skills to ease anxiety, find better focus, and decrease attention deficit symptoms.Understand the impact of our evolutionary traits in the modern world and explore the consequences of our physical and mental traits. Uncover the detrimental impact of unrestricted social media use on your brain and empower yourself to reclaim your attention span.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Audiobook, Science, Technology

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 29, 2024

About the author

Anders Erik Hansen (born 1974) is a Swedish psychiatrist.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anders Hansen's book uses both evolution and multitudes of scientific studies to show how modern technology distracts us in our everyday lives. He also talks not only about how cell phones and tablets impact adults' mental health, but also that of children. The worst of these culprits is the time people spend on social media. There are also good tips in here about how to disconnect from your phone and be more physically active to help improve your attention span. The information is broken down into easily digestible information without a lot of jargon, making this super accessible to the general public. Recommended for those who want to be less reliant on their phones and tablets.

My thanks to Zeitgeist and the author, plus NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

[Saint Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

could be an article

[Treen · Rating 2 out of 5]

for me, it didn’t offer new insights, and was quite repetitive in places. I thought it was reductive, attributing most modern ills to phone usage. I also picked this to learn more about HOW to help shift my relationship with tech and increase focus, rather than hear arguments for why phone time isn’t great.

Would recommend watching the great hack and the social dilemma documentaries instead.

[Tõnu Vahtra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading many books on focus and attention since the last pandemic brought the challenge to forefront in big time and some of those books already hinted that anoter book on this topic will be published soon so I added it to wishilist already half a year before it was published (10th of August).

The book is good and on point, but surprisingly short (189 pages), basically completed it in 2 days. It mainly focuses on on the negative impact that smartphones have on our ability to focus (risks are especially big for younger people). I liked the idea that mobile phone usage (which most of the time is just mindless swiping or jumping between links for that dopamine hit) by itself might not be the culprit, but it's opportunity costs AKA the things that are left undone due to excess usage. The main two important things to improve focus are good quality sleep (many people check phone before sleep and multiple times during night, even having phone near you has many negative effects) and sufficient exercise (up to 2 hours per week is proven to improve brain function, more can be done ofcourse). The book also made me rethink my smartphone usage, I have already disabled most notifications but now also deleted some shortcuts from home screen to make some apps more difficult to reach and potentially reduce usage.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I spontaneously picked up this book in my local library as I was in the mood for a self-help book on increasing my concentration and productivity. While this was a fun, short read, I would have appreciated more attention being paid to HOW exactly we can increase our focus. This book ended up being more of a long-winded statement of "phone bad" rather than any specific and evidence-based guides to curbing phone addiction (except maybe the final few pages).

Moreover, the author clearly wanted to focus on exploring the scientific and evolutionary basis for screen addiction. However, it could have easily been condensed into a simple article or blog post. Even a reddit post might have sufficed (I have actually learnt more from some reddit posts). Hence it was very disappointing.

[Jacqueline Schoen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick listen and pretty interesting! My cave woman brain that can’t focus was validated.

[Lavinia B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent guide to what our smartphones, and especially the unrestricted social media use is actually doing to our brains, and the practical steps we can take to break the addiction cycle.
It also provides a good insight on brain evolution & brain chemistry (serotonin, dopamine, cortisol etc), and the rise of stress, anxiety and depression in the modern society.

[Su E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lowered my screentime with 44%

[Ana Dias · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s probably a 3,5. The book is very easy to read and it’s a small book. The author describes interesting studies about the influence of mobile phones use (or just their presence in a room) that I didn’t know about. Also has practical advice at the end on how to best manage our phone/screen use. I was expecting a bit more.

[Amy Jin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a well organized, easily understandable little book , it provides some useful advice and highlight some of the important questions which had emerged since the era of technology
It’s very meaningful that the author did not just say the screen time era is making all of us worse off, instead he uses many case studies results to show that this digital life is helpful when in control, however people should be aware of the possible additive features of excessive phone usage in our daily life.

[Akiine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and insightful! Would have bumped this up to a 4 had the book been condensed, as I found some parts kept repeating throughout.

[Jia L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attention Fix makes an engaging case that our brains, built for vigilance on the savanna, are ill-suited for today’s world of endless pings and feeds.
But the logic doesn’t hold on closer inspection.
The book claims that since modern life is abundant and safe, we should not be distracted anymore. Yet distraction persists — not because evolution failed to “catch up,” but because technology companies exploit the very same neural pathways that once kept us alive. These circuits were not erased by modern comfort; they’ve simply been hijacked.

Attention Fix argues that our brains, shaped by evolution to be distractible, now struggle in a world of abundance and safety. But this framing collapses under scrutiny. Evolution doesn’t switch off vigilance when lions vanish. The neural circuits for novelty and scanning remain intact — companies have simply learned to exploit them. Technology hasn’t created new distractions; it has industrialized old ones.
The book also suggests that attention itself has been commodified, fueling digital addiction and burnout. Yet burnout long predates smartphones — it’s a by-product of capitalist work culture (see Maslach’s research). Technology only sharpens the extraction. What’s sold is not pure attention but our behavioral patterns, as Shoshana Zuboff argues in The Age of Surveillance Capitalism.
To its credit, the book is right that multitasking is inefficient. Neuroscience confirms the cost of task-switching. But the real loss is subtler: the erosion of deep work (Cal Newport) — the long, undistracted stretches needed for creation and reasoning.

Overall, Attention Fix is an enjoyable read that is thought-provoking but may be a bit simplified, riding on the wave of 'digital is bad'. More of a popular essay than a rigorous diagnosis.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful, Practical, and Relevant for Educators

Anders Hansen’s *The Attention Fix* is a compelling dive into why our attention spans are under siege and what we can do about it. As an educator, I found this book incredibly relevant to the challenges faced by today’s students—and teachers.

Hansen does a fantastic job explaining the neuroscience behind attention in an accessible and engaging way. He connects how our brains evolved to seek novelty with why modern technology (smartphones, social media, etc.) hooks us so effectively. His insights into how this affects focus, productivity, and mental health are not only enlightening but also highly relatable for anyone working with young people.

What I loved most were the practical strategies Hansen offers to help reclaim focus, like mindfulness exercises, setting tech boundaries, and embracing single-tasking over multitasking. These tips are easy to implement, both personally and in the classroom, and they offer hope in an era where distractions are everywhere.

However, I would have liked Hansen to address systemic issues more deeply. In schools, attention struggles aren’t just about smartphones—they’re influenced by testing pressures, overloaded curriculums, and even mental health challenges. A broader discussion of these factors would have made the book even more impactful.

Still, *The Attention Fix* is a fantastic read for anyone curious about why staying focused is so hard and what we can do about it. As an educator, it left me with fresh perspectives and actionable ideas to better support my students—and myself. Highly recommend!

[Felipe Jiménez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generalmente no soy fan del enfoque organicista o conductual porque intento pensar en los seres humanos como algo más que “uga uga” pero juega muy bien aquí y con la—muy creíble—premisa del libro. Había anticipado de alguna manera el tratamiento de las redes sociales, sólo, obvio, que sin conocimiento científico para respaldar mi experiencia particular. Ha habido una transición / transformación desastrosa de los métodos macabros que usan las aplicaciones para condicionar inconscientemente al usuario; como participante en varios niveles de exposición y consumo puedo confirmar y decir que that shit fucked up. Me quedo con varias cositas, resalto los tips al final del libro, compro y propago que las redes sociales pueden ser lo que queramos que sean, después de todo, se modelan casi automáticamente a partir de los patrones de consumo, si adquiriéramos consciencia para reclamar una retro-erosión de todo lo que ha perdido lo humano en la lucha contra los intereses económicos, algo bien podría ser diferente. Can’t wait to have children and relegate them to a sub-human status by never allowing them to see a screen in their lives!!! Haz ejercicio! Socializa! Lee en papel! (read on ibooks) Bota el celular! Sindicalízate!

Just remembered I had the intention of writing a review in english. I loved the subtle way of making a very easy and engaging read. Being able to explain things by appealing to the unconscious via repetition, thereby, making it easier to retain and learn, is incredible. Closest I’ll ever be to a sortof neurolinguistic programming experience. I think I’ll never be able to stop thinking about the smoke detector principle.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughts: The beginning of this book is what really caught my attention as I scrolled through several pages of nothing but dots. 10,000 of them to be exact. This is the history of humanity. Eight dots equals how long in that history we’ve had cars, electricity, and running water. Three dots equals computers, planes, and cell phones. And one single dot is for those who have never been without modern technology. I found that intriguing.

The book itself is rather short – 189 pages – and easy to read. Rather than giving you a lot of psychological rhetoric, he breaks that all down into bits you can actually understand. He does point out the negative impact that our phones/electronics have on us, especially young people. I also liked that at the end of the book, he breaks it all down into small bites that we can use to help ourselves. Things like: get 2 hours of exercise per week (this actually helps with focus); log your cell phone use; turn off the electronics an hour before bed, and more. The suggestions are something we can all do in order to help ourselves.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from Zeitgeist (Penguin Random House) with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

@zeitgeist #partner

[Susan Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing science behind our lack of attention, but what we can do about it?

While this book offers many useful insights, I struggled at the very beginning with the author's statement that "You and I are the result of a process without meaning or purpose." For me, this felt like a heavy, discouraging idea. If the process of human life doesn't hold inherent meaning, it's hard to see why I should bother improving things like my focus or attention in the first place. This perspective feels a bit out of step since it seems like the purpose of the book is to find meaning in your relationships and actions, especially regarding technology.

However, I did continue to read the book, and overall I found it to be extremely informative, especially with what the author had to say about the science of the brain, dopamine receptors, stress and anxiety, distraction training, and how we can actually make decisions that force technology to adapt to us.

I think the author was bleak in some of his thoughts and perspectives, and understandably so. However, after reading through the entire book and only being provided with four pages of "What you can do about this," I was rather let down. I expected a much broader scope of practical tips and applications, even something an individual can do on a small scale that would make a huge impact.

Having said all this, this is an important read for no other reason than to learn about the attention deficit humans are now facing and how it is detrimental to many facets of our lives.

[Silvio Carrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

"the ability to postpone a reward isn’t just something we are born with; it’s also influenced by how we live and can be trained"

I tell this to everyone. Discipline is a skill like any other. Every human is lazy by default. We become disciplined by forcing ourselves or by the environment we grew up in. Both require effort.

The phone is not the issue, it's how we use the phone. Sure. But the reality is we have to go out of our way to make the phone less addictive. Everything on the phone is a big Ad that pushes you on the wrong direction.

The fallacy of "free" apps is the worst invention possible because it is what has lead to all the psychological and predatory tactics used by social media all the way to videogames. Even if you open Netflix, the app always changes the content trying to draw you in. It does not care if you watch anything. All it cares is about keeping you there and making you "feel" like it is worth it.

So you have to look at your phone and decide that is a tool for a set number of things. I don't use it for any type of entertainment. I don't use it for any social media. That change alone helped me get my time and focus tremendously.

You have to make it easy so the behavior you want becomes the default behavior. If you rely on willpower, you will fail every time. That is what people don't realize. Remove the excess. Decrease your options. And you will find where you need to be.

--

Short and to the point. Better than lots of 300+ pages books that just reiterate on the same point.

[Dorothy Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

In today’s world of bites of news, views, and ideas, we have lost focus and often find it difficult to pay attention beyond a few minutes. Dr. Anders Hansen addresses these issues in The Attention Fix: How to Focus in a World That Wants to Distract You.
Readers will find a guide to regaining one’s focus and expanding one’s attention span. Dr. Hansen points out the problems inherent in modern society with the focus on social media and smart phones as well as other digital devices.
In the table of contents, readers see topics of interest. “Stress, Anxiety, and Depression---Evolutionary Winners?” is the core of chapter two. That chapter caught my attention quickly. Dr. Hansen reports, “When we are under a lot of stress, we need either to fight or flee and there is no room for subtlety.” He goes on to point out ways to alleviate that modern-day stress.
In chapter 3, Dr. Hansen calls “Cell Phones—Our New Drug.” That is an apt description as we see people glued to their phones, either looking at the screens or holding them in their hands in case they need a quick fix. At the beginning of the chapter, Hansen writes, “If you don’t have your phone in sight, I’m sure you know where it is—otherwise you probably wouldn’t be able to concentrate on these words.” Think about that! Where is your phone at this moment?
The Attention Fix is a book to make us think; it is also a book to help us regain that focus we’ve lost to technology!

[Julene · Rating 4 out of 5]

the attention fix: How to Focus in a World that Wants to Distract You by Dr. Anders Hansen outlines studies that show how cell phones and online attentions disrupts brain concentration and learning. Children's frontal brain does not develop fully till mid twenties. There is much information about the brain, much of this information we should know, or have heard.

Here are some factoid quotes:
"we learn less with cell phone and computer next to us."
"our phones are so seductive that they seem to make us less interested in others."
—empathic concern, interpersonal sensitivity have decreased, while narcissism has increased.
"...body image issues are worse for one in three teen girls."
—all 11 year olds today have a cell phone
Ages 12-16, in a survey of 4000, found one in 7 spend six hours a day on social media.
"If you can't postpone a reward, you may not be able to learn things that it takes time to get good at."

An excellent book for parents to read and reconsider their rules for cell phones and social media with their children. He points out a fact I knew: Steve Jobs the founder of Apple, did not allow his children to have a phone. He was aware of the damage from the radio waves, which is one reason, but there are many more as this book outlines.

I've a goal to cut down my time online so it was a good reminder with some useful tips.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Attention Fix is short quick read about how phone and tablet usage is affecting our lives. I know I find myself at times aimlessly scrolling on my phone so this topic really interested me.

I liked how Anders Hansen used evolution information on why screen addiction is an issue today. Also there was some good information, that I didn't even realize how much phone usage affects my life. For example, when out to eat consistently checking my phone even if I don't have a reason to check it.

Only thing that I didn't like was I found at times the book was a little repetitive. I'm not sure if that was intentional by the author to prove a point or not. Also, I was hoping there would be more advice on how to reduce screentime. Besides, putting my phone in another room so it's out of sight out of mind.

I think this was a good introduction into this topic for me and I plan to look into this topic more.

Many thanks to Zeitgeist, Penguin Random House, and Anders Hansen for a free/gifted book.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this little book incredibly fascinating. Personally, I think that anyone who has small children or who is planning to have children should be required to read it. As a matter of fact, I plan to get a copy for my daughter and her husband who have yet to have a child.

I admit I am not surprised by what Hansen reveals, but I am a little stunned at the detrimental effect of cellphones (and tablets) on the intelligence and general well-being of humans. We are literally dumbing ourselves down by our addiction to them.

Fortunately, there is a solution to our addiction if we are just willing to see it through, and it’s not just spending less time scrolling through our social media, playing games, and looking for more dopamine hits on our devices. Anders offers the research behind why other things can help with this.

Hansen also offers lots of proof and references many, many studies about the information he provides. He has an incredibly thorough bibliography, as well.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book last Sunday at the FILBA, and I regret not buying the other book they had by the same author.

This book was easy to read, interesting and eye-opening.

Sure, I already knew my phone use wasn't doing me any favors, but actually knowing the data surrounding the issue made me feel more urgency about making a change.

Having said that, I must clarify that most of the book is about connecting evolution and scientific research to today's struggles surrounding digitalization. It only gets to the "fixing" part at the very end, where an entire chapter is dedicated to analyzing something that could potentially help. The last two pages are also dedicated to compiling all the scattered advice found in the book --which I find fairly useful.

As a person who enjoys learning, this was a pretty good book. I was expecting a little more fixing, but it's okay. I'm happy that at least I got some strategies I can experiment with and draw my own conclusions.

[Amy]

When I was 21 I had absolutely horrific insomnia. I couldn't get more than a few hours of broken sleep every night and I was trying EVERYTHING to just sleep through one night. I hit a point where I was so desperate that I went to my GP and asked for sleeping pills, just to get me through my university essays. Without asking me a single thing about how I felt or what I'd tried, I got the most condescending reply ever: put your iPad away (not that I even had one).

Hansen, who judging from certain parts of the book himself has a phone addiction, admits that he does just this to "young people" who come see him for sleeping problems. The rest of the book is mis-titled basic pop science that brings absolutely nothing new to the subject (just watch a YouTube video on it, they'll do it better for free, I promise), but that was where I chose to DNF.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book to review ; @Zeitgeist

My biggest problem with this book was the title. Misleading I would call it "get rid of your cell and social media platforms".
Well researched and interesting, and a few points I have never thought of about the pressure our phones point us (example; being even in the same room as us).
I'm happy to report as of now I have spent less time on my social media and cell phone. Although I was never really "into" my phone and texting friends or "posting", not updating whats app & FB to my phone have kept me from scrolling mindlessly
I notice less interest in them- and I have been crafting and listening to more audiobooks.
I think this is a must read for parents for themselves and their children.
Is my attention fixed? Probably not- do I think this should be treated like a public service announcement; yes

[Sajida]

Digital detox, going offline and online safety have been an ongoing topic of personal interest...
It's a shame that I fall into so many of the addicted tactics of the technological world. Reading about the stats, case studies and the general problematic state of 'big tech' was a very discomforting read, one I knew existed but admittedly dismissed. What's concerning is the ongoing concern on online safety for children and how the cons, which are damaging and disruptive outwieght the benefits. Ultimately, we as a global society need to take back our attention and with it our nervous systems, our boredom, our thoughts, our communites. In doing so, we'll be able to reclaim our relationship with the world around us, one where we are present to witness it in all it's physical forms instead of seeing it rapidly go by through a screen.

[Izz Rekindled (semi-hiatus due to college) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.3 rounded to 3

What pisses me off about this book is that it has great potential but it was very focused on the methodology of attention and its use in early human, leaving the solution(s) to the very end.

Another thing, the title was very somewhat misleading if we looked at the context of the book; if you talk about “the attention fix” in one or two chapters out of 10, then the title has nothing to do with the majority of the books.

Honestly, it felt like I was reading a tall article on National Geographic. What I hoped for it to be was a detailed idea of how to react differently and how to change our radical approach to living with technology in this era where technology is a Must in our daily lives.

If you read the book, what do you think of it?

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a giveaway on goodreads. I had never read anything by this author before. I really enjoyed the clear comparison of our evolution and how that fits in to the world we live in specifically in relation to our phones and social media. This book has inspired me to actively monitor my screen time and concentrate my efforts elsewhere in a more beneficial way. Some of the information/stats are staggering in relation to how much we have our phones in our hands in front of ours and our children’s faces and what effects that can have. Fortuitous I read this book at the start of a new year, felt like a perfect time to set some goals for the year as I attempt to continually improve myself.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book very clearly provides scientific reasoning as to why our brains are overwhelmed by our current technology. I knew most of this already, but it is set out in an easy to understand manner, and I really appreciated learning why I feel some much better after deleting my Facebook and limiting my social media usage :) some excellent new tips in this book as well.

Some concerning implications for future generations, and ways to mitigate these, are also discussed. Recommend this highly to everyone that owns a smartphone!

[Veena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The irony of listening to this as on audiobook on my phone is not lost on me.

Serendipitous read. I got a “skip the line” copy of this on Libby from my local library around the time I had chosen to take a one year break from social media. This validated my choice. I enjoyed how behaviour was explained with reference to studies, evolution, and neurochemistry. The author has an intelligent but not condescending tone throughout the book which encourages you to keep reading instead of shaming you for your phone habits.

[Yvonne Lin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Contrary to the title - the attention fix, it doesn't provide you much solutions or interesting insights to fix.

The book primarily tells you WHY your phone and social media is bad for your brain and therefore the consequences on your overall well- being.

I like to think most of us already know that, but if you like to understand further why it is bad, then this book might be helpful. Just don't expect any solutions, other than putting your cell phone away, and reduce your social media time.