I had a chat with my missus recently about this and noticed something about myself.
I find it hard to sit and read books no matter how much I enjoy them.
My mind is constantly drifting, and I can’t focus.
I might find an interesting word like ‘expeditiously’ and look up the definition in an online dictionary, and before you know it, I’ve spent an hour on the socials like dancing cats, Skibidi Toilet and global wars in 4K.
What the ever is the matter with me?
I thought that was just a ‘me-thing,’ but when I chatted to friends, they said they are in the same boat too.
And it reminded me of an article I read recently, and I think Matt Damon might have the answer.
At the top of the year, Matt Damon, with his bestie Ben Affleck, went on Joe Rogan and said filmmakers are now being pushed to build movies differently for Netflix.
And the reason is that people can no longer focus on the big screen because of their constant phone use.
People are finding it hard to focus on watching a film, so filmmakers have to keep their attention as long as possible.
Streamers increasingly want a big action sequence right at the start, and writers are even being asked to get characters to repeat important plot points because people are often on their phones while watching. Apparently, streamers are preparing ‘style guides’ for directors to follow.
Also, Netflix is suffering a severe case of ‘one-season-itus’ with many of its flagship shows seeing a 70% drop-off from their first season to the second.
What this points to is that Netflix is struggling to hold its audience’s attention.
‘Netflix and Chill’ seems quite tense now.
What Happens When Everything Adapts to Distraction?
What Mr Damon is talking about isn’t just in the realms of the silver screen but a curious yet sinister phenomenon that is occurring all over culture.
The tech nerds of yesteryear promised us that technology would bring us a ‘utopia’ of flying cars, teleporters and a life of leisure, where work could be finished in an hour, and we could spend our lives ‘pondering the great mysteries of this existence.’
Yeah right.
We’re more likely to be pondering how to get into Paddington station when the latest signal failure/person under the track/tube strike happens again.
The brutal reality is that this newfangled technology has made us more distracted and anxious than ever.
There is simply no ‘off button ’, and one side effect is insidious because it comes dressed up as ‘progress.’
Our Portable 'Slot Machine'
Tech ethicist and former Google employee Tristan Harris once said that new technology like smartphones is built to be as addictive as ‘slot machines.’
Well, they did a great flipping job.
The cheap dopamine hits of scrolling TikTok or making memes keep us occupied but take away one of the most dreaded but essential states we need to progress as humans.
Boredom.
Boredom gets a bad rap in our society, but it is the manure needed for creativity, resilience, and introspection to grow.
Being bored is often seen as a disease in our modern culture, but our ability to tolerate boredom correlates to our ability to stick with things to the end:
Things like:
· Learning a difficult skill.
· Reading a complicated book.
· Listening properly to someone.
· Creating something worthwhile.
Require periods of tedious, uncomfortable graft. Learning how to deal with dead ends, failed experiments and simple frustration is required before you develop any mastery.
But now with AI, you can become an ‘insta-expert’ at almost anything, and we wonder why our attention spans are scattered like the light off a 70’s disco ball in Saturday Night Fever.
And this is especially tragic for our Gen Z and Alpha young people who have never known anything outside of high-speed information.
Gosh, I grew up in the times pre-internet, and I’m still struggling – I can’t imagine what the young people are going through.
So I can hear some of you say, ‘Go on then, big shot! What’s the answer then?’
And if I’m being absolutely honest, I don’t know.
And so that’s why I spoke to an expert.
In the latest Maverick School Podcast conversation, I sat down with Natalie Chama-Pupé.
Natalie is an author, educator and entrepreneur who works directly with young people through the tutoring business she founded, Chama Tuition. She's also written multiple books, including her latest book Identity.
So she's encouraging young people to read, write and find their voices at precisely the moment AI can produce thousands of words in seconds.
• We talked about representation in books, whether AI-written books need an “ingredients label”, and something I hadn't really considered before:
• The relationship between reading, loneliness, empathy and human connection.
• And why reading isn't simply about literacy or passing English GCSE.
Natalie’s unique insight into the challenges for attention is deeper than reading great books, but goes to the core of what it means to remain human in a world that is becoming more artificial by the minute.
If AI can write a book in seconds, what's the point of a young person learning to write one at all?
Natalie's answer surprised me.
🎙️ Listen to my full conversation with Natalie Chama-Pupé on your favourite podcast platform below.
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep15-ai-should-never-replace-human-stories-author-education/id1881678199?i=1000789542312
Spotify
Podbean
https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-7mnpj-1b5b632
See you in the next Maverick School Journal.
Take care.
Karl
