Stop trying to avoid distractions, just get better ones instead
The article emphasizes the importance of seeking high-quality distractions, like engaging children's shows and meaningful activities, rather than avoiding distractions altogether, to enhance attentiveness and life fulfillment.
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The article discusses the concept of distractions in modern life, particularly in the context of children's television. The author reflects on their initial desire to shield their child from algorithmically generated content, only to find that shows like "Bluey" and "Peppa Pig" offer a higher quality of distraction. "Bluey," created by Joe Brumm, stands out for its artistic approach and thoughtful storytelling, making it the most popular children's show in the U.S. in 2023. The author argues that rather than attempting to eliminate distractions, individuals should focus on seeking better ones. This idea extends beyond children's programming to adult life, where distractions can be both low-quality and high-quality. The article suggests that the internet has evolved, with a shift from superficial social media to more engaging content, such as podcasts and in-depth discussions. The author encourages readers to embrace distractions that capture their full attention, such as spending time with family or engaging with meaningful content, rather than succumbing to mindless scrolling. Ultimately, the piece advocates for mastering distractions by choosing those that enrich our lives.
- "Bluey" is a leading children's show known for its quality and artistic approach.
- The author promotes the idea of seeking better distractions instead of avoiding them.
- The internet has shifted from low-quality distractions to more engaging content.
- Engaging with meaningful activities can enhance attentiveness and fulfillment.
- Mastering distractions involves choosing those that enrich life experiences.
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> For me it’s much more about it being something that genuinely fixes your full attention.
This is quite similar to what I'm currently learning in my training/coaching on how to deal with my AD(H)D.
ADHD is for a large part an inability to consciously direct attention to where it "should" go. Both hyperfocus and distraction (aka impulsiveness) are two sides of that same coin.
My training is a lot about becoming aware of when this attention switching happens¹.
And then about choosing to act on it and direct it. Which is often not the hard problem with ADHD. It's more the "going on sidequests without knowing you go on them".
So my therapist also teaches me to allow "good" sidequests. E.g. cleaning the bathroom (when I should be making breakfast) is fine: as long as my agenda allows it, I then have a clean bathroom. And to be aware that some sidequests are luring exactly because they stimulate me more. So to seek that stimulation in other tasks as well.
--- ¹ e.g. I didn't notice that I opened HN, read a random article, jumped in the thread to talk about it. When I was actually proofreading a boring report. Now that I think of it, I was also updating some software in another window, also not the work I "want" to do.
Some hacks I use to become aware are "leechblock (firefox)" and "digital wellbeing (android)". Just timers and blockers that show me "you went on a sidequest again..."
We have these great podcasts, these great feeds, but we don't have much to deal the memories, to retain the better parts; we are still awash in distraction that won't add up. Being able to engage more closely with the text, to highlight, markup, tag, share would bring a level of thought, depth, and reviewability to our distractedness where our own time spent can help us better calibrate ourselves forward.
Semi-related to the article, the Smash Brother fighting game creator Masahiro Sakurai recently sort of apologized to players who've spent thousands and thousands of hours in game. Some apropos musings followed,
> time - especially how it's conceived before starting a game - is better thought of as a cost of sorts," he explains
> "In the modern world, you're constantly competing with everything else," Sakurai continues. "It's a battle for people's time. Even if someone has lots of free time on their hands, that means something different now than it did in the past. There are always things to do. The question is: how do people choose to spend the time?"
https://www.gamesradar.com/games/super-smash-bros/super-smas...
For me personally, little distraction is good. And the distractions should be ones that don't suck me in - a window to look out for a minute is fine, a video game to play for a minute is disastrous. For me.
Everything in moderation. Screens (and for children), particularly.
The author's perspective comes off as someone who's trying to justify their questionable choices to themself.
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