In 2007, I made some observations and named what I was seeing in a 2008 Huffington Post article. I described a phenomenon I initially called email apnea, and later referred to, interchangeably as email apnea or screen apnea. This followed observations and research I’d done in the 1990’s on attention, when I coined the phrase,Continue reading “Screen Apnea in the NYTimes”
Tag Archives: continuous partial attention
Our Powerful and Fragile Attention
What if I told you that the way we are talking about attention is part of the problem today? Our conversation about distraction, multi-tasking, and the stern command to focus actually creates a level of stress, anxiety, and shame. Headlines read: Dangers of Digital Distraction! Taming the Distraction Monster! Time to Unplug! This conversation stressesContinue reading “Our Powerful and Fragile Attention”
From the Atlantic: Interview with James Fallows
Jim Fallows asked me to talk with him about the future of attention. I wanted to share the links for the short version that appeared in the magazine, and the longer version that appeared online. The short version, followed by a link: From the time we’re born, we’re learning and modeling a variety of attentionContinue reading “From the Atlantic: Interview with James Fallows”
A Badass Musician & a Sixth Degree Aikido Black Belt Advise on Email Apnea
Watching Cameron Carpenter play the organ is a transcendant experience. It’s as if he’s “lit.” The organ just sits there, and Carpenter’s body exudes a powerful energy. Most of us, when we interact with digital technologies, “merge” our energies with the device, exhausting ourselves. Experienced musicians don’t do this. In the evolution of our relationship with digital devices, we have a lot to learn from experienced musicians.
Linda Stone 