Your brain isn’t broken, but it may seem like that because of how the screen age overwhelms your biology.
Neurologist Richard Cytowic argues that attention is a finite energy budget, not a virtue, and modern life is engineered to exhaust it.
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Richard Cytowic is Professor of Neurology at George Washington University. His books include Synesthesia, The Man Who Tasted Shapes, The Neurological Side of Neuropsychology, and Your Stone Age Brain in the Screen Age.
Summary:
The Brain's Limitations:
Our brains are still "Stone Age brains" (0:31), meaning they haven't evolved to handle the constant demands of modern digital life.
Attention is a finite energy resource, similar to a bank account (1:11). Every mental activity, even thinking, expends this energy (1:33).
The brain operates within a fixed energy bandwidth that cannot be increased (2:21). Most of this energy goes to maintaining basic bodily functions, leaving little for thought (2:51).
The Problem of Modern Distractions:
Constant novelty: Our brains are hardwired to respond to novelty (3:41), which modern screens constantly provide, overwhelming our attention (4:04).
Forced viewing: Large screens in public places demand attention, and trying to ignore them expends energy (4:21).
Behavioral addiction: Excessive screen use activates the same brain areas as physical addictions to drugs like alcohol and cocaine (6:19). This is driven by the "wanting and reward" pleasure circuit, which is easy to trigger but impossible to satiate (5:42).
Tech giants' strategies: Companies ruthlessly compete for our attention, using "positive intermittent reinforcement" (7:08)—like slot machines—to keep us glued to their platforms (7:23). Netflix even considers sleep its biggest competitor (6:59).
Nomophobia: Many people experience nomophobia, the fear of being without their phone (8:10), leading to anxiety (8:35).
Reclaiming Attention:
Minimize screen exposure: The most effective but hardest solution is to turn off the phone (8:01).
Adjust settings: Turn down screen brightness (9:01) and use blue-yellow titinopic filters on iPhones (8:57). Beware of blue light blocking glasses, as truly effective ones are too dark for practical use (10:20).
Prioritize sleep: Regular sleep hours are crucial for attention and focus (11:01). During sleep, the brain consolidates memory, clears waste products, and processes emotions (11:26). There is no "catching up" on sleep (11:55), and sleep deprivation can impair cognitive function as much as alcohol (11:47).
Practice sleep hygiene:
Avoid TVs in the bedroom (13:16).
Maintain a cool room temperature (13:32).
Avoid emotionally arousing activities like engaging in political debates before bed (13:51).
Prioritize self-control and emotional intelligence to avoid getting riled up (14:18).
Engage in real-life interactions: Meaningful conversations with people in person release bonding hormones like oxytocin, which doesn't happen with screen interactions or Zoom calls (15:10). Zoom fatigue is common due to issues like awkward camera placement and fragmented audio (15:50).
Take deliberate breaks ("Nixens"): Practice the Dutch concept of Nixens (17:04), which means the art of doing nothing. Step away from screens and busy activities for a few minutes to look around, listen to nature, and breathe (17:10). This "throws the circuit breaker" and helps restore focus (17:22).
Embrace silence: Silence is an "essential nutrient" (18:19) that our brains need for downtime and restoration, as they did not evolve to be constantly active (19:03).