Lost in the Scroll: Finding Focus in a World Built to Distract Us

Last night, I caught myself doing that thing again. You know that thing when you pick up your phone just to “check the time”. That was it, but then somehow I ended up deep in a stranger’s vacation reels from 2018! When I did -finally- check the time, an hour had vanished — and my book sat untouched on my lap, silently judging me! This got me thinking about how our minds have changed.

How did we get here? Here’s a hint: 📚 → 📺 → 📱

Remember back in the day when we used to get lost in things? when you’d open a new Harry Potter book and emerge hours later, wondering why it got dark outside. Nowadays, getting through a long article feels like an Olympic sport. My brain keeps whispering, “I wonder what’s happening on social media?” every few minutes. The weird part? This isn’t just a me thing, or even a you thing. It’s an us thing in this digital era.

We’ve slowly drifted from a world where people would stand to listen to political debates for hours and hours (imagine that!) to one where we get antsy if a YouTube video takes too long to get to the point, or even speed it up to get it over with!

Our relationship with information has gone through this wild transformation. We went from savoring information like a fine meal to treating it more like fast food.

Now we’ve got instant answers at our fingertips, and somehow that’s made us more impatient, not less. The irony is: the same technology that gives us access to basically all human knowledge is the same one that makes it harder for us to sit still and actually absorb any of it!

We’re all taking part in this massive digital experiment on how to handle this flood of information. No instruction manual, no previous generation to learn from. We’re just figuring it out as we go along, trying to navigate between consuming something meaningful, and getting sucked into endless scrolling of dance videos seeking tiny dopamine hits!

So What Can We Actually Do About This?

Look, I’m not here to tell you to throw your phone into the ocean or to be a full digital hermit. This is just to reflect about your attention and be conscious with where it goes and how long it stays there — potentially affecting more important things in your day.

Befriend that hyperactive puppy in your mind instead of constantly trying to keep it in a cage.

Here’s what’s worked for me — and trust me, I’m still very much a work in progress:

Scheduled Distraction Time

This may sound completely backwards but actually it works: instead of trying to resist the urge to check social media all day, I now have designated intentional “distraction time.” This gives my brain a recess making it easier to focus knowing that there’s a play break coming up.

I set specific times during the day (10:30 AM and 3:30 PM are my “social media recess” periods) with a 20-minute timer. When that timer goes off, I’m out — no negotiations with myself, no “just one more scroll.”

Add Friction

It’s scary how automatic our phone-checking has become. For that, I installed this app (one sec) that makes me take a deep breath before it allows me to access any of my apps. Like this it adds friction and makes my access harder. Sometimes that tiny pause is all I need to realize I’m reaching for my phone out of habit rather than intention.

Make it less shiny

During working hours, instead of using airplane mode, I put my phone on a “visual diet.” I switch to grayscale and it suddenly becomes way less tempting. Without the colorful screen, my brain just isn’t that interested. It’s like turning your favorite snack into plain rice cakes — still edible, just not something you’d binge on!

The goal is to be more conscious of where your attention goes and making intentional choices about it. Each time you catch yourself drifting, it’s not a failure — it’s a moment of consciousness. A chance to ask, “Is this where I want my attention right now?”

A Final Thought (Before You Check Your Phone 😉)

We’re the first generation dealing with this level of constant distraction, but we’re also the first generation that can choose to do something about it. It’s not about perfect focus — it’s about being a bit more intentional with our attention, one notification at a time.

Our minds deserve better than being permanent residents of that infinite scroll.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this. How do you maintain focus in a world designed to steal your attention?

Drop a comment below or check out my book for more strategies.