I made it all the way to the end. It was like a little stab in the heart, but damn, that stab felt good. Loved the imagery of a tide. Thank you for your work.
"Isn’t that why you bought a smartphone in the first place, so you could live fully in the world, and be a million different places, see a million different things, achieve a million different goals, and be a million different versions of yourself?"
I specifically got a smartphone to save myself from the mental load of *not* having the encyclopedia of the internet at my fingertips -- which would have saved me from two brain-wracking hours trying to remember the name of actor Robert Loggia pre-mobile access to IMDb. Sure, I could have written it in a notebook and let it go until I was back at a computer, but... it would be faster if the internet were at my fingertips!
And then phones became cameras. And books. And newspapers. And social media became a thing. A lot of burdens and benefits from one small device. But at least I've never struggled to read my writing on a digital note! A small one-up on a paper notebook.
Your statement about attention being a gift that we give others is a helpful perspective. As a new parent, I am even more aware now than I was before about how a million different things in the world compete for our attention. I used to spend at least an hour a day reading about the latest catastrophe in the news, as you put it. But as a parent, I simply can’t do that anymore. I have finite emotional bandwidth and any attention I spend on the news means I am less present for my kid. It’s helpful to remember that mindfulness and living in the present are things that really enhance jour appreciation for life, particularly when it comes to parenting.
I am grateful that there weren't smart phones when my kids were tiny. Not only did I get to see my kids progress in the pool, us parents use to talk to one another on the deck. We got to know people in our community that way. We had human contact. We didn't feel lonely. But that is another subject for another time.
Thanks! Was thinking about this very thing -- the human contact -- in the context of going to a restaurant. Was travelling in Chicago this week, and every place I went, you ordered through a QR code at the table, had your food delivered -- didn't exchange a single word with the servers. All these incidental interactions we used to have are slowly going away.
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD (despite being in my mid-20s), so something about this piece spoke to me in a fresh way. Attention is hard enough to pay without feeling like technology has further fragmented my mind into little pieces, each one fighting against the others to accomplish something, just to accomplish nothing at all. I'm still trying to figure out how to make everyone get along.
Last week, I wrote a piece about a big change in my life early in my career, a decision influenced heavily by some feelings brought to life in your last essay, YOUTH. Now this week, I read this--about how technology complicates our ability to focus on the things that matter--at the same time I am coming to terms with my own attention deficits an simultaneously writing another piece about my Gen-Z flirtations with neo-Luddism.
I'm new to Substack but I'm really enjoying your writing, Jared, and I empathize with it deeply!
You know, for all the talk about surveillance capitalism and all, perhaps we have just as much "attention capitalism." So may outlets vying for our attention on every confounded platform there is and monetizing it all. So - great post here, Jared!
I feel this so much today. And maybe every day. And also, my first thought about that cellophane wrapper was that it was from a cigarette pack. Thank you for this.
You had my full attention, and now I'm feeling guilty as well as wondering what that heron did next. Your writing draws me in like a moth to a flame. Loved it!
The bit about the aging woman dissapearing slowly. So sharp.
The bit about kids throwing glances at their parents - I could feel my pulse quicken - oh how many times have I missed it? Will he blame me forever? Oh God, the guilt the guilt.
The heron brought about a tender remembrance of the pre-smart phone era when I could stare out the bus/train/car window for hours and not feel the tiniest bit bored.
I do observe the heron at my pond but only manage a few seconds. Lost case.
I made it all the way to the end. It was like a little stab in the heart, but damn, that stab felt good. Loved the imagery of a tide. Thank you for your work.
"Isn’t that why you bought a smartphone in the first place, so you could live fully in the world, and be a million different places, see a million different things, achieve a million different goals, and be a million different versions of yourself?"
I specifically got a smartphone to save myself from the mental load of *not* having the encyclopedia of the internet at my fingertips -- which would have saved me from two brain-wracking hours trying to remember the name of actor Robert Loggia pre-mobile access to IMDb. Sure, I could have written it in a notebook and let it go until I was back at a computer, but... it would be faster if the internet were at my fingertips!
And then phones became cameras. And books. And newspapers. And social media became a thing. A lot of burdens and benefits from one small device. But at least I've never struggled to read my writing on a digital note! A small one-up on a paper notebook.
Really thought-provoking piece. Thanks!
Your statement about attention being a gift that we give others is a helpful perspective. As a new parent, I am even more aware now than I was before about how a million different things in the world compete for our attention. I used to spend at least an hour a day reading about the latest catastrophe in the news, as you put it. But as a parent, I simply can’t do that anymore. I have finite emotional bandwidth and any attention I spend on the news means I am less present for my kid. It’s helpful to remember that mindfulness and living in the present are things that really enhance jour appreciation for life, particularly when it comes to parenting.
I am grateful that there weren't smart phones when my kids were tiny. Not only did I get to see my kids progress in the pool, us parents use to talk to one another on the deck. We got to know people in our community that way. We had human contact. We didn't feel lonely. But that is another subject for another time.
Great article as always.
Thanks! Was thinking about this very thing -- the human contact -- in the context of going to a restaurant. Was travelling in Chicago this week, and every place I went, you ordered through a QR code at the table, had your food delivered -- didn't exchange a single word with the servers. All these incidental interactions we used to have are slowly going away.
Sad.
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD (despite being in my mid-20s), so something about this piece spoke to me in a fresh way. Attention is hard enough to pay without feeling like technology has further fragmented my mind into little pieces, each one fighting against the others to accomplish something, just to accomplish nothing at all. I'm still trying to figure out how to make everyone get along.
Last week, I wrote a piece about a big change in my life early in my career, a decision influenced heavily by some feelings brought to life in your last essay, YOUTH. Now this week, I read this--about how technology complicates our ability to focus on the things that matter--at the same time I am coming to terms with my own attention deficits an simultaneously writing another piece about my Gen-Z flirtations with neo-Luddism.
I'm new to Substack but I'm really enjoying your writing, Jared, and I empathize with it deeply!
You know, for all the talk about surveillance capitalism and all, perhaps we have just as much "attention capitalism." So may outlets vying for our attention on every confounded platform there is and monetizing it all. So - great post here, Jared!
Love these words ❤️
I feel this so much today. And maybe every day. And also, my first thought about that cellophane wrapper was that it was from a cigarette pack. Thank you for this.
You had my full attention, and now I'm feeling guilty as well as wondering what that heron did next. Your writing draws me in like a moth to a flame. Loved it!
Thanks so much! Appreciate your attention...it's a finite resource, and a generous thing to share it.
Nailed it. Thank you.
Very nice! Made me laugh about the Heron
Beautiful, thanks
I found 2 typos. Missing “at”: But let’s not look those things.
Missing “of”: To write down all these deep thoughts about the importance paying attention.
Ha, thanks man! I can always count on you!
"In the course of a single day, your attention skims like a skipped stone across the ocean: it travels far, but it barely gets wet." This got to me.
The bit about the aging woman dissapearing slowly. So sharp.
The bit about kids throwing glances at their parents - I could feel my pulse quicken - oh how many times have I missed it? Will he blame me forever? Oh God, the guilt the guilt.
The heron brought about a tender remembrance of the pre-smart phone era when I could stare out the bus/train/car window for hours and not feel the tiniest bit bored.
I do observe the heron at my pond but only manage a few seconds. Lost case.