Technology Hijacks Attention, Undermining Well-being and Connection

Key Quotes

"The battle that I'm engaged in... is this battle to maintain our humanity in the face of giant tech companies that want to steal it from us steal our humanity and essentially our lives literally from beneath our noses."

Catherine Price frames the core conflict as a fight for human essence against technology companies aiming to capture attention and, by extension, lives. This highlights the high stakes involved, suggesting that the struggle is not merely about managing screen time but about preserving fundamental aspects of human experience.

"What our attention which is what the companies are after is our most precious resource."

Price identifies attention as the primary target of technology companies, asserting its value as humanity's most precious resource. This underscores why these companies are so invested in capturing and holding our attention, as it directly translates to their business model and influence.

"When we are on our screens we're not moving around we're not out in the world so there actually is a physical health consequence of this battle that we're all engaged in it's really affecting our health on a number of different levels."

Price connects the battle for attention to tangible physical health consequences, explaining that time spent on screens displaces physical activity. This illustrates how the digital realm directly impacts our well-being beyond mental or emotional states.

"The best statistics I could find show that people are spending roughly four hours a day just on their phones so not any of those other things not tv like just the phone and that adds up to 60 full days a year so that's two months of your life."

This statistic, as presented by Price, quantifies the significant portion of life consumed by smartphone use. It provides a stark, relatable measure of time lost to devices, emphasizing the scale of the issue by comparing it to months of a year.

"We can go through life in one of two modes discover mode where we're open and we feel confident we feel curious we don't have this stress response we're not fearful or we can go through life in what he calls defend mode which is where we are anticipating these potential attacks where we're constantly on defense we're worried about what might be lurking around the corner."

Catherine Price, referencing Jonathan Haidt, introduces the concepts of "discover mode" and "defend mode" to describe psychological states influenced by technology. This framework helps explain how constant digital engagement can foster anxiety and a sense of threat, contrasting it with a more open and curious state.

"The news is a common denominator of the worst things that are happening in society it's easy to look at a kid and yes it's 100 an issue you know tiktok alerts facebook instagram and i think along with that there's the adult equivalent there's many adult equivalents not like adults are not on social media but there's this healthy one that a lot of people celebrate which is constantly letting the news dictate your attention but i feel like that puts us even as adults into this defense state where we're expecting the worst from everybody and we're not present to the to the beauty that could be around us."

The speaker highlights how constant exposure to negative news, often delivered via smartphone alerts, can push adults into a "defend mode." This suggests that even seemingly responsible engagement with current events can contribute to a state of heightened anxiety and a diminished capacity to appreciate positive aspects of life.

"I think one thing to keep in mind is that it makes sense that we're reaching for our phones and social media so often because we are longing for connection and we are longing for fun and we want to feel joy and companies have promised that we will find these things through their products and in reality what we often get is a fake sense of connection loneliness a feeling of isolation and just feeling that you're like rotting your brain and wasting your time."

Price explains that the allure of phones and social media stems from a fundamental human need for connection and joy, which companies exploit by promising these through their products. She contrasts this promise with the reality of experiencing isolation and wasted time, indicating a disconnect between digital offerings and genuine fulfillment.

"True fun is the confluence of three states: connection, playfulness, and flow."

Catherine Price defines "true fun" as a combination of three distinct elements: connection with others, a state of playfulness, and engaging in activities that lead to flow. This provides a concrete framework for understanding and pursuing more meaningful and joyful experiences beyond passive digital consumption.

"It's much harder to experience life through a screen and if you're constantly fragmenting your attention it's going to have an impact on your attention span."

Price asserts that experiencing life through a screen fundamentally differs from direct engagement, and the constant fragmentation of attention negatively impacts one's ability to focus. This underscores the idea that digital interactions are less immersive and can degrade cognitive functions like attention span over time.

"The best case scenario is that we really do make a change and we can improve our health and our happiness."

This statement, made by Catherine Price, emphasizes the positive potential outcomes of altering our relationship with technology. It suggests that intentional changes can lead to significant improvements in both physical and mental well-being, framing the effort as a worthwhile pursuit.

"The main bill that protects kids online is the children's online privacy and protection act which was passed in 1998 so it's really old and there is an updated version of this bill that almost was voted on last year but was not by the house but was not and now there's variations on it being circulated it's called the well, the name may change but the kids online safety act KOSA."

Catherine Price points out the outdated nature of current legislation protecting children online, specifically mentioning the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act of 1998. She highlights the ongoing efforts to update these protections with bills like the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), indicating a need for more robust regulations in the digital age.

"What for is the first question and that's quite simply ask yourself what did I pick up my phone for? You know, what was my purpose? Was I trying to buy something? Was I sending a particular email? Was I calling a person? Like, did I have a purpose?"

Catherine Price introduces the "What for?" question as the first step in her "WWW" framework for mindful technology use. This prompts users to identify their intention before engaging with their phone, encouraging conscious decision-making rather than automatic, habitual use.