In 1971, Nobel Prize-winning economist Herbert Simon wrote: "In an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes. What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients."
More than fifty years later, we're living in the world Simon predicted—one where attention has become the scarcest resource of all.
The Mechanics of Distraction
Our digital tools aren't neutral. They're designed by teams of engineers, psychologists, and data scientists whose job is to capture and hold our attention. Every notification, every infinite scroll, every "you might also like" suggestion is the result of sophisticated behavioral engineering.
The result is what researcher Matthew Crawford calls "attentional commons"—the shared cognitive environment we all inhabit. Just as industrial pollution degrades our physical environment, the attention economy pollutes our mental environment.
But here's what's particularly insidious: we've internalized these interruption patterns. Even when our phones are in another room, we find ourselves mentally checking for updates, refreshing feeds that don't exist, seeking the dopamine hit of novelty.
The Case for Deep Work
Cal Newport's concept of "deep work"—the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks—isn't just about productivity. It's about human flourishing.
Deep work is where we do our best thinking, our most creative problem-solving, our most meaningful learning. It's where we connect disparate ideas, see patterns others miss, and create work that matters.
Yet deep work is becoming increasingly rare. A 2021 study found that knowledge workers check email every 6 minutes on average. Another study showed that it takes an average of 23 minutes to fully refocus after an interruption.
We're creating a world where sustained thought becomes impossible.
Reclaiming Depth
The solution isn't to abandon technology—it's to use it more intentionally. Here are some strategies I've found effective:
Time blocking: Schedule specific hours for deep work and treat them as sacred. During these blocks, all notifications are off, and the phone is in another room.
Attention restoration: Spend time in nature, read physical books, engage in activities that don't require constant decision-making. These practices help rebuild our capacity for sustained focus.
Batch processing: Instead of responding to emails and messages throughout the day, process them in dedicated batches. This reduces context switching and preserves mental energy for more important work.
Environmental design: Create physical spaces that support deep work. This might mean a dedicated workspace, specific lighting, or even particular music that signals to your brain that it's time to focus.
The Deeper Question
But beyond tactics and techniques lies a more fundamental question: What kind of life do we want to live?
Do we want to be people who skim the surface of many things, or dive deep into a few? Do we want to be reactive, constantly responding to the urgency of others, or proactive, pursuing work that aligns with our values?
The attention economy profits from our distraction. But we don't have to participate. We can choose depth over breadth, quality over quantity, intention over impulse.
The future belongs to those who can think deeply in a world designed for shallow thinking.
A Personal Practice
I end each day by asking myself: What did I create today that required sustained focus? What problems did I solve that couldn't be solved in a few minutes of scattered attention?
Some days, the answer is "nothing," and that's okay. But increasingly, I find that the days when I can answer those questions positively are the days when I feel most alive, most human, most myself.
In a world of infinite distraction, attention becomes an act of rebellion. Deep work becomes a form of resistance.
The question isn't whether we can afford to cultivate deep work in our busy lives. The question is whether we can afford not to. ```