Deliberate Living,  Media Diet,  Time Management

Some Thoughts On Attention

I recently listened to the TED Radio Hour on Attention. And then I listened again, paying much closer attention. What I heard has given me a lot of food for thought.

I listen to the TED Radio Hour of NPR with some regularity. Mostly it’s informative, but there are times when a show will pick me up by the neck and shake me.

So it was for the show on attention.

You can listen to the show here: Attention Please(MP3)

The thing that caught my attention (!) about this show is that it points out with directness that our modern life is being chosen for us. This comes from the algorithms that suggest the next video to watch (and one just a bit edgier), or the alerts that are training us to self-interrupt and destroying our focus.

All of these things are modifying our behavior.

It’s fine if that is what you are consenting to.

But I know that this show made me stop and think about what I am allowing. Capturing my attention is a bid to modify my behavior. And I am not consciously choosing to allow companies to pick what I will buy/think/read/do. That’s got to stop.

I’d be interested to hear what you have to think about the show. (Please don’t comment unless you’ve taken the time to listen)