Distracted: Reclaiming Our Focus in a World of Lost Attention

by Maggie Jackson

This visionary book details the steep costs of our deepening crisis of distraction and reveals remarkable scientific discoveries that can help us rekindle our powers of focus and sustained attention.In the first edition of this groundbreaking book, Maggie Jackson sounded a prescient warning of a looming crisis: the fragmentation of attention that is eroding our abilities to problem-solve, innovate, and care for one another. Now in this updated edition with an incisive new preface, she offers both a renewed wake-up call and a path forward as we reckon with one of the most pressing problems of our time. How can we harness the technological marvels of our age more wisely and turn data into knowledge and distraction into skillful attention? How can we reset human bonds in a time of deep disconnection? We must, she argues, curb technological excess by cultivating the full gamut of our attentional capabilities. We must look first to the human behind the device.Jackson is our expert guide in exploring the historic roots of distraction, the perils we face in melding human and machine, and the cutting-edge science that reveals the attentional skills most needed in an age of overload. Timely and unforgettable, Distracted offers a harrowing yet hopeful account of the fate of our highest human capacity.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Psychology, Mental Health

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 11, 2018

Reviews

[SundayAtDusk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oddly, I found it incredibly hard not to be easily distracted by anything and everything while reading this book! I'm not sure why, either. The topic is highly interesting to me, and I'm far from being a multi-tasking type person who can do other things while reading. Moreover, I did not grow up with the internet, so have no problem focusing and staying focused on what I'm reading. I even had a paper copy of the book, which I prefer much more than a Kindle copy.

Yet, by the time I got to the final chapter, all I could think of was I wanted to do something creative, like write a story, or draw cherry blossoms with my new pen set, or even read a novel. Anything but keep reading how people multi-task these days, how they can't think critically, how they can't break their screen addictions, etc. Maybe I just find the topic too depressing. Maybe I think the only way to even begin to tackle the distraction problem is to get rid of cell phones; or make them so they can do nothing but place or receive telephone calls; and see them as something children do not need to possess.

(Note: I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.)

[Beth Bonness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book was originally written in 2018, the timelines of Maggie's research and message are as relevant today (if not more) than back then.

Understanding what attention is and how much more research is needed helped tremendously in reflecting for myself -- where I might let my attention get hijacked.

THREE TYPES OF ATTENTION:
1) Awareness - wakefulness
2) Orienting - like the flashlight of the mind
3) Executive - symphony conductor of our attention - allows us to make choices and steer our attention

When I find myself not fully present, my flashlight waves all over the place and the conductor must be on a coffee break.

Maggie uses delightful stories along her travels including taking an Attention Network Test only to find herself in the average range. Although there's hope - we're on the edge of understanding what attention is and Maggie shares the benefits and importance of taking breaks from our digital devices that hijack our attention.

As you read and learn, we are habituating digital distractions in our daily routines. Our ability as a species to stay focused for long periods of time for reflection is being eroded. Not there's hope - research shows as people take breaks from their devices, their in-person relationships begin to flourish in a way that constantly checking our phones (even if we're in a conversation and want to research a topic of that conversation) don't allow.

Thank you for yet again Maggie for researching something we take for granted and sharing your research findings.

[Abdul Basit · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is too well written for the attention deficient people it was supposed to be for. It is at a higher level for the people that could benefit from it.

Many time while reading it, I felt asking Maggie Jackson where she us going with it. I still felt like asking her. I couldn't see any discussion about attention except in the first the last chapters. Maybe I need to intellectually grow up a bit more to really get the whole message.

I also couldn't understand why would she describe in so much detail the appearances of the people she interviewed. Like how is it relevant with everything else.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read the introduction.

Argument that over-reliance on tech tools heralds an oncoming dark age (limiting/ regression of capacity for critical analysis) wasn’t what I was looking for.

Side argument that shorter attention spans hinders emotion regulation, which requires ‘effortful control’ was really interesting.

I’m not counting not finishing the book as a case of tl;dr short attention span though.

[John Hitchcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 years after the first edition, I’m struck by how this book reads like it is speaking of today. If anything, we’ve gone deeper into the. “Shallows.” Jackson was on to something very big. Huge kudos to her - and bad on us for not hearing her warning.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy through Edelweiss.