We Can't Focus Enough to Read Anymore
But we might be able to fix it.
I'm sitting in my big leather recliner, possibly the comfiest chair I've ever sat in, yet I'm fidgeting. I've got headphones on, playing soft, instrumental music, yet I'm easily distracted. There's an open book in my hand, yet my mind wanders, skimming whole paragraphs absentmindedly.
What is happening to me?!
The Cause(s)
No, it's not a boring or badly written book; I actually love it once I finish it! No, it's not that. It's a much deeper issue, an issue that's taken root in my brain.
My rapidly dwindling attention span.
I know, because it's not just reading! I will sit at my piano keyboard for only ten minutes of practice before I get bored. Drawing, painting, and sewing- hobbies I used to invest hours in- are too daunting to even start! That's not to mention the household tasks left undone and the self-care rituals put to the wayside.
Why am I losing my attention span, though? What happened to the kid who couldn't not be doing something, and how can I get her back?
Well, I know part of the answer... I just don't like it, because my parents were right: It is the "damn phone." Please excuse my language. Truly though, I spend over five hours on just my phone every single day.
The Societal Pattern
Unfortunately(and fortunately?), it's not just me! The Partners Universal Innovative Research Publication on Zenodo claims, "Recent studies show young people spend over 7 hours daily interacting with screens, from smartphones to computers and TVs"(2023). Most people are only awake 16 to 17 hours a day! We're zombies, spending ~40% of our day feeding our addiction to electronics.
I, like many of you, put a YouTube video on while I do my laundry. My husband puts a video on at the same time as playing a video game! Before I was married, I was in the habit of scrolling shorts(I don't have TikTok) until I fell asleep. The urge to be constantly entertained ruled- no rules my life.
I'm willing to bet it's ruling yours too.
The Fix(s)
Every mental wellness girly online will tell us that the solution is to intentionally unplug. Most of them are selling something: an app to help us stop, a brick to force us to put our phones down. But our most important weapon is our willpower.
Older generations make it sound so easy when they say things like, "Well, just spend less time on your phone!" or "You don't need to have it every second of the day!" If you grew up in the world of cellphones and the internet, though, you probably understand the anxiety. Your brain is countering with:
"What if I miss an important message?"
"What if I have nothing to do at work?"
"What if I need to look something up?"
I want to see if I can address each of those worries.
Let's say I do miss an important message. I'm reading or enjoying a hot mug of coffee and my thoughts. Now, the person messaging me can either wait or call me. If it's important enough that they can't wait, they'll call, and I can easily put my ringtone on sound, not too far away from me.
Okay, now I'm sitting at work, very bored. In fact, I have a 12-hour shift today- for any of you reading this on the day I post it- and I have very little to do. Pulling out my phone is the easiest and most instant gratification for awkwardness and boredom. Yet, I feel like crap after. I feel so much better if I spend the time journaling, working on a project- like my Dystopian fantasy novel- or reading a good book.
I've started a project by this time, and I realize mid-session that I don't have all the facts I'd like in order to finish the project properly. It would be more than easy to look it up immediately, and it would relieve me of the discomfort of not knowing. But I know, if I pick up my phone, even for something productive, it can quickly suck me into a spiral of doom-scrolling. Ideally, I'd have everything prepared beforehand, but in the case I don't, I can pause, make a note, and come back to that part later. It feels messy initially, but it is so much more satisfying to see a session all the way through without pauses.
To Sum Up. . .
Investing time in a project or hobby has become so difficult with a smart device beeping in everyone's pocket. The blue light from its screen may as well be seeping into our faces, given how long we spend staring at them all day. We need to:
Put our phone somewhere we can't pick it up, but we'd hear if someone called.
Remind ourselves that scrolling only soothes; it doesn't satisfy.
Get comfortable with moving on before we know everything.
If you have any tips for lowering our collective screen time, reconnecting with our focus and creativity, and living in the moment, please share them down in the comments, so we can all be better. Have a great week!
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