Johann Hari on the real reason we can't pay attention anymore | The Drum

Do you find yourself getting distracted often? Constantly checking your phone or struggling to get through a book the way you used to? It may not be your fault.
Today, there are more organisations and forces vying for your attention than ever before - and they're getting better at it. In a new book, Stolen Focus, panelist Johann Hari explores why it's so hard to concentrate these days.
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[@maneeshamoua]

I love how passionate Johann is about this subject. You can tell he is self aware and in-tune with the world which is something a lot of us lack. Wonderful information!

[@jamesrichards2980]

I've been aware for years of how much my attention has suffered, but never been able to really address it. When i was a kid, I could sit down and play a video game for hours...last time I tried, I couldn't even concentrate to complete a full level! I used to play a musical instrument, but now I just can't get back into it! I have a suspicion that some of the issue is because life moves so fast and we're constantly presented with other people's achievements and the pressure to succeed, and I simply wasn't able to accept that I needed to spend time to develop the necessary skills...I couldn't get good enough instantly and hence I just couldn't stay on task

[@thermitebanana]

I saw this come up in my feed and I thought "Can I really sit through a 16 minute video on this topic?"

[@Josh1OD]

Such good vibes in that room and obviously, very valuable information. Thanks for sharing this!

[@SamStone1964]

This goes back before social media and mobile phones. Over the years I've known plenty of people addicted to television and radio. You visit them even today and they have their television or radio on in the background 24/7. They are almost unable to have a conversation unless it's about something they saw or heard on the radio or tv. As someone who has never owned a television in my life and I haven't listened to radio since the 1980s they struggle with a conversation. Same with the internet and social media. It's a personal choice to be distracted from the here and now.

[@rickb3650]

When the distractions are required to interact with society and the world you live in, it isn't a choice at all. A man named Edward Bernays studied this in the early part of the 20th century and wrote what is the foundation of media and especially advertising in 1933. As the program stated at the beginning, this is deliberate. The science of mental manipulation of masses of people has been made the economic foundation of our society. In the U.S., his work enabled the military/government to finance the war. In the ~90 years since Bernays' work, almost every industry and institution on earth has made perfecting and insinuating this science their top priority.

[@clooneytune_]

Or you're judgmental as heck... congrats on remaining disconnected from society since the 80s, but that doesn't make you an inherently better conversationalist. Plenty of my friends and I can get in to deep conversations for hours without getting distracted by our phones, it's really not that uncommon either, but nobody wants to acknowledge this when it makes a better story to claim that everyone's lost their minds because of media. If you think people weren't getting distracted by books or idle gossip before electronic media came along you're dreaming, this is a human condition, the invention of media simply puts a magnifying glass on it. Humans weren't designed to "pay attention" for long periods.

[@ahkl77]

Put the timer on for tech & screen-time, just like you would for baking or roasting.

[@ericagerrard2099]

That was amazing. TY I’m going to stop beating myself up. I had to pause the video 3 times because I can’t focus on more than 1 thing at once. Now I don’t feel bad about that.

[@evanriddle1614]

I recently learned how to bring an old Dodge truck back to life here in the deep southeastern US. But rather than a week or two,(or less), as it might have taken in the past it took months but I persevered. I have discovered that my own attention has been shredded. Thank you Mr Hari. I bought the book.

[@greigga1]

Love this. Agree that multi-tasking is an absolute myth. Thanks for the share.

[@truthbetold4178]

Thank you!

[@rjl110919581]

thank you for sharing the video as good to watch. asking look was 1960 times world and look of today world will big diff of lifestyle have here

[@cristerdangate2219]

I find it easier to focus on sleep when i disconnect my internet modem

[@janinehoare2266]

Can’t concentrate long enough to watch this clip

[@andyboyize]

So true….

[@whatwhat9589]

Nice job homie

[@EldeNova]

It's not that we can't pay attention it's... hang on

[@mattwood8659]

I'm interested in the book he wrote. What's it called?

[@composthog4332]

Stolen focus

[@newgabe09]

In the first 8 minutes of this, I've checked the weather on my phone (even though I can hear it is raining), read a comment on a WA group, clipped my nails, adjusted the aircon, checked my resting heart rate and made this comment. I'm doing fine 🤪

[@jeffwhite2511]

I did all that while typing my reply to your reply!!!!

[@lukemallon4499]

Did the weather report confirm your apparent precipitation?

[@frarfarf]

I'm trying really hard to put all my attention on one thing at a time. That means pausing the Netflix show, the podcast or the KZbin clip while I read something. It's one or the other - not both!

[@EltonoutoftheclosetOfficial]

If you want to learn to concentrate profoundly, get a copy of ‘Initiation Into Hermetics’ by Franz Bardon (and Rawn Clark’s companion book, ‘A Bardon Companion’), and begin the training therein.

[@drweetabix]

Some of us worked during the pandemic and didn't get a chance to wonder about in a garden looking at stuff.

[@jeffwhite2511]

I don't even know where my phone is right now. I doubt I touch it more than 4 or 5 times a day. I'm addicted to reality not virtual reality. Why do people care so much about what others think? You are alive and living on a beautiful planet isn't that enough???

[@traceyhordern222]

Really trying to stay with this... but it's frighteningly true, it's increasingly hard to pay attention (I'm typing this as I'm watching this)

[@redbutterfly88]

I dont think peoples attention is getting slow but its the frequency of multiple information feeding us from diffrent sources.. we used to study or search for information we need but now its everywhere bombarding our brain we need to prioritize only what we need at a time.

[@thedativecase9733]

Yes. I value the easy availability of information we have now. However I'm glad that I went through my childhood and teens without all this technology because I had the pleasure of finding stuff out for myself. Going to the Central Reference library in the city centre, and meeting other people, going for a coffee in the downstairs cafe and having interesting conversations.

[@jordannixon3114]

The only way I can get through a 10 minute video is watching it at 2x speed

[@samphelps856]

Didn't fully pay attention to this.

[@DonnaJo3452]

Lol!

[@comicsans6487]

Keep getting manipulated then.

[@enigmaticx326]

I scrolled through Twitter while watching this :/

[@scottfranson4215]

23,954 views Feb 2, 2022 Today, there are more organizations and forces vying for your attention than ever before - and they're getting better at it. Johann Hari

[@ltumbtc8102]

What is Brigette's last name?

[@walter3433]

00:45 attention

[@giamirella]

Easy fix- watch videos on 2x speed

[@60-second-HACKS]

This is ridiculous. I never thought I'd hear Johannn say such a thing. I only look at my phone twice a day. Once for 6 hours and once for 8 hours. Boom! Boom!

[@thedativecase9733]

Basil Brush?

[@ronyeap88]

What's the point in him writing a book for us to buy and read if he knows that we have trouble focusing and probably will have trouble getting through his book anyway??? 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🙏🙏🙏

[@DonnaJo3452]

He’s doing it to feel HE has accomplished that.

[@samphelps856]

Com'on now.

[@mercykisilu7885]

😂😂😂oh wow

[@mercykisilu7885]

😂😂😂oh wow

[@mimikurtz2162]

90 seconds into this I'm already reading the comments with no idea what he's warbling about in the background.

[@karenishness1]

Go life food. David Jubb of Jubbs Longevity.

[@rochellekeels8026]

Scary 😂

[@Digital_Ken]

We are now entering the full complete virtual digital world 🌎 😀 🙌 😎 😊 no need for real human interaction is where we're heading.

[@jeffwhite2511]

I want lock up my chocolate which distracts me every hour. What is that thing called

[@ouardabenghida4115]

I was really focused on a couple of beauty’s in this vid 👌

[@gabrielpalacios158]

tldr

[@Tymbus]

That set is really distracting.

[@Tanaconasaperson]

When u actually have adhd and this is happening in the world 🤑🙏

[@Extrapolates]

Unpopular opinion

[@importantname]

how he going to steal our attention back? and why?

[@Labor_Jones]

a key element is wondering if you'll ever have the chance to do something you are interested in... Want to LOSE FOCUS? .... America was HOPEFUL after World War 2, and the kids had that feeling even if and when they were treated less than fairly. TODAY listen listen listen and all you hear are suffering. *And Will the WEALTHY pay their share for USING OUR LAND of OPPORTUNITY - no! *And Will the WEALTHY pay their share for the extra water, energy - no! *WILL THEY PAY THEIR SHARE or disable the COUNTRY and hire Mercenaries to Rule over Us?

[@shitzuation]

Maybe he just waffles on too much for people to pay attention to what he’s talking about lol….GET-TO-THE-POINT dude!

[@truthbetold4178]

You proved the point... can't pay attention! 👏

[@robdog1275]

Too long

[@James-th7wb]

Plagiarist and liar Johann Hari

[@ericblair54]

Never forget, never forgive. People never learn, people never grow. It's so great to be perfect.

[@James-th7wb]

@@ericblair54 Do you bottom for Johann or something? I like how you brush off plagiarism as a minor mistake. Like he was a child

[@ericblair54]

@@James-th7wb Spoken like a true homophobe.

[@wolfferoni]

An odd exchange but I think both of you have a point. I was a fan of Johann since I watched his ted talks on addiction and connection. I agree with a lot of his ideas. However, I recently read his wiki page just out of curiosity and was surprised to find he was not only a plagiarist, but could be quite malicious when things didn't go his way. That said, it's been a number of years now and I hope he's changed for the better. For the time being, I'll be open to his ideas as long as they have scientific basis and leave it at that. Nothing he's saying is new though

[@Justin-hn9uv]

@@wolfferoni _"Nothing he's saying is new though"_ Because when he isn't plagiarizing others or editing their wikipedia pages in malicious and defamatory ways he is writing about things that are pretty well known and passing them off as revelations. He's what is commonly known as a hack. And a hack that has been given way too many 2nd chances.

[@rebeccaconlon9743]

So, don't take personal responsibility, blame others... is basically his take

[@SamStone1964]

For children yes but absolutely as adults we are responsible for our own habits.

[@attilajuhasz2526]

I've posted a reply in this comment section to a comment similar to yours and at the risk of looking repetitive I'll repeat here: You make a hilarious point and for that, at this time of writing, I see that you have three 'likes' (thumbs up). However, you (and possibly others) have missed his nuanced explanation/analogy, which is this: If someone is pouring itching powder on you and then says, "stop scratching!" it is possible to take personal responsibility and 'just not scratch' but the manner of your reaction is his point. That is, do you tolerate the itching powder and force yourself not to scratch or do you make an effort to prevent the itching powder from being poured on you in the first place?

[@SamStone1964]

@@attilajuhasz2526 Simple. You live your life far away from the person with the shaker full of itching powder. No scratching required.

[@attilajuhasz2526]

@@SamStone1964 in a manner of speaking, yes, that's one fix. Understanding that the technology has the potential to be so insidiously manipulated, has enabled me to counter. I wouldn't want to get rid of it entirely because it is one of the tools I use. Instead, I'm mindful that others may (or rather, do) also use it to bombard me for my attention.

[@neatznotso7424]

So you don't think its helpful to know why something's happening? Its not about not taking responsibility its about understanding the reason why something's happening to then enable you to take control, or responsibility. Its like someone with a mental illness before diagnosis, once getting the diagnosis they can then understand the reason why something's happening, why they behave the way they do and take control by working with drs and psychologists, hence taking responsibility for their behaviour. At least that's what makes sense to me and what I think he's saying.