Numb. Charles R. Chaffin

is limited as images of tragedy become routine and conflict becomes the norm. We have more choices than we could ever imagine, everything from colleges to potential mates to brands of mustard. Yet many of us are paralyzed to decide, and in some cases are unhappy and mired in regret over past choices. The number of emails and text messages that we receive on a daily basis can be overwhelming to our Stone Age brains, causing us to struggle to filter the relevant from the irrelevant. Social media promises connection to billions of other humans around the world, yet we struggle with loneliness, tribalism, and FOMO as these platforms lure us into a dopamine loop that provides a short‐term fix, sometimes at the expense of authenticity. Algorithms provide us exactly what we want to read, watch, and engage, diminishing our horizons rather than expanding them, while at the same time facilitating a polarized society where common ground is, quite frankly, uncommon. With all of these factors in mind, it is not surprising that the information age is making us numb.

Our attention is both limited and valuable. We only have so much of it at any given time. It is vital, as it drives our consciousness and, ultimately, where and to what we direct our cognitive and physical resources. Given the sea of information and the limits of our attention, we have become overloaded with the sights and sounds that are now a significant part of our everyday lives. Technology lures our attention onto apps of all kinds through push notifications and reward systems that work to engage us and ultimately keep us engaged. The technology and many of our sources of information have different objectives than our own. While the user or viewer is interested in staying informed or connected, social media platforms, streaming services, and cable news channels all have a vested interest in capturing and, perhaps more importantly, keeping our attention. It is not enough to just log on or “tune in.” These platforms are designed to keep you engaged for as long as possible, through algorithms that provide similar content based upon past consumption and variable rewards that keep you posting and reposting and checking and rechecking those posts and reposts. Sensationalism and opinion keep viewers engaged through breaking news that may or may not be breaking news and opinion that sometimes only confirms existing biases. Through these tricks and tools, platforms of all kinds deliver screen time and ratings to advertisers, while the user sometimes remains no more informed or connected than before. We are living in an attention economy where this scarce resource has become the price for much of the information that is around us. Social media – an attention marketplace where regular exchanges of this valuable currency take place – also brings those who are seeking attention. Many visit and revisit Facebook, Instagram, and a host of other apps seeking validation from others, whether the subject is a vacation, a new car, or their most recent cheeseburger. These same platforms are a breeding ground for echo chambers and confirmation bias as individuals with similar perspectives come together. In some cases, the loudest or wildest conspiracy theories within the echo chamber receive the most attention, leading to further bias, misinformation, and in some cases radicalization. Whether searching for attention via shirtless selfies or political misinformation, many see social media as a platform for panhandling for attention. This search for attention and validation sometimes comes at the expense of authenticity as we prioritize the rewards of the platform with perfect strangers at the expense of meaning and connection with those closest to us.

There are immense benefits to this information age. It provides incredible power to fuel our abilities to problem solve, create, and even help those who live a world away. Our sustained connectivity fuels almost every aspect of our daily lives. Algorithms help fight crime and enable better medical diagnoses. We have the capabilities to be informed voters and investors, learning about each issue and how it impacts our communities, families, and wallets. There is not only a democratization of information but also a universal ability to express our viewpoints. Social media provides the billions who engage it the ability to convey their lived experience, no matter how trivial or serious. However, with all of those benefits, there are by‐products to this information age that have real implications on our ability to experience our environment, think critically, and live our lives to the fullest. Technology, and all of the information that goes along with it, somehow evolved from a tool to get us to our life's destinations to our actual destination. These by‐products, which largely focus on the scarcity of our attention as well as the psychological issues that come with all of this information and connectivity, are at the heart of Numb.

      I wanted Numb to have a real purpose in people's lives. It was not enough to identify the problems with this information age, many of which are quite apparent. But rather, I wanted to present real solutions. I interviewed over 60 professionals, ranging from psychologists to researchers to everyday people, to talk about ways that each of us can address many of the challenges that come from this information age. Each of these interviews has been incredibly useful in my own personal journey, and I hope you see the same value as you read. I present research from a variety of fields in a manner that I hope is digestible and relevant and, perhaps most importantly, answers the “so what” of many aspects of our lives. Nowhere in this book do I argue in favor of any type of technology oasis or dopamine fasting where we cut off our access to social media or any other platform or information source. Rather, Numb is written to help us use information and technology as a tool to make our lives better. Our smartphones, PCs, televisions, radios, and all the other devices that help us receive and create information can be useful to us if they are an accompaniment to our lives, rather than the primary focus of our attention.

My vision for Numb is a book that can be read cover to cover, with short chapters for attention‐scarce readers living in a busy world. I suspect that you will identify with some of the topics and vignettes more than others, but regardless, the book is written with context (i.e., the real world) in mind. After the first read – and as the many devices and sources of information once again work to steal your attention – I hope that Numb can be a semi‐regular reference; a reminder of how to take control and use technology to accentuate our lives rather than control them. At the end of the day (or perhaps at the end of the book), Numb is a guided reflection for each of us to determine our own relationship with this information age. The suggestions shared in this book are designed to empower you to use information, and the positive power and connectivity that can go along with it, towards productivity and authenticity. Now that Numb has your attention, let us begin.

Acknowledgments

      A special thank you to all of the researchers, clinicians, and everyday people who generously contributed to this book. Each one of them were asked to be part of this project because of their expertise and, perhaps more importantly, their willingness to help others. I hope that each of their voices shines through in this book.

      Thank you to the team at Wiley for believing in this project from the very beginning and supporting this vision. It was a long time coming to fruition, and throughout, Wiley was steadfast in their support. I cannot imagine a better creative partner.

Introduction

      Our attention impacts our world and our world impacts our attention. With attention comes our awareness. Sometimes focused, sometimes divided, our attention helps us in our work, using our knowledge and skills towards everything from problem solving to creating a safe work environment on a job site. It also brings a focus on those around us, noticing their behavior and appearance, what they say and how they say it. With our attention also comes compassion towards the suffering of our neighbor or those far away. Attention is that critical prerequisite to so many of the thoughts, feelings, and actions that make us human. Being educated, skilled, or even empathetic means little without attention. If our attention is not focused on a conversation, we cannot bring our perspective, expertise, or caring to that dialogue. One could have all of the resources in the world to cure disease, fight hunger, or end wars, but if her attention isn't focused on those problems, those resources are not much use.

Each of us has only so much attention. If we focus on something – whether a sound, sight, smell, or touch – that focus is highlighting something as much as it is blocking other sights or sounds around us. For example, as you read this book, you are focusing on the words on this page at the expense of the sounds of voices around you, the smell of