The Age of Distraction and what to do about it

Simon RaeOver the past few weeks Ben and I have been talking about social media and how we utilise it while still maintaining a slow(er) paced life.We spoke about Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and finished last Monday's episode with a challenge - to delete social media apps of our phones for the next month. I know there were a few people who really weren't down with that idea, which is totally understandable (it can be annoying and inconvenient, for sure) but today's episode might give you some additional food for thought.We had planned to wrap up the social media series last week and move on to another topic, but a couple of weeks ago I read an article on The Guardian that was too fascinating, and perhaps a little too much like the dystopian fiction I love, to ignore. So we thought we'd spend today's episode examining the article and the ideas it presents, because it's a very timely conversation.The article opens with a conversation between the journalist and a handful of Silicon Valley engineers and developers, who are among the small but growing number of tech employees who no longer use the platforms they helped create. For some, it's purely the distraction and time impacts of these addictive platforms, but for others it goes deeper. The article examines the ways in which these platforms have been designed to maximise addictability, and the impact that's having on our behaviour. It was this point that really made me mad, and gave me the motivation to delete the apps and completely reconsider the way I use them.Ben and I also talk about the specific tools we've started using since reading the article, including website and app blockers, as well as the mindset shifts we've made that seems to have made these changes easier than they've been before.If you haven't had a chance to read the article I've linked to it below and definitely recommend you take the time to have a read this week. You may just find yourself a little pissed off, like me, and use that anger to make some long-term changes.

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Things to Check Out After Today’s Episode:

• 'Our minds can be hijacked' by Paul Lewis, The Guardian
• Stay Focusd - the website restricting extension for Chrome - I use this to keep non-work social media time to 10 minutes a day
• Freedom - the app and website blocking app that stops you from being able to access apps and specific websites on your phone (I use this in conjunction with Stay Focusd so there's fewer opportunities to find work arounds)
• SLOW, my brand new book is now available in Australia and New Zealand! (US and Canada, Spring 2018) Head over here for details.
• Destination Simple is now available in North America! Grab a copy here.

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You may have heard that we recently hit 3 million (!!) downloads of The Slow Home Podcast! Not only does that fact blow my mind, it's also thanks to your lovely self and the community of people who listen to the show every week, send in your questions and offer your feedback. I'm so grateful you're here and part of this, and for anyone who has supported the show in any way over the past year - thank you so much.If you do love the show and would like to show your support by becoming a patron, head over here to make a small monthly donation (as little as $1 a month) and know that any amount makes a huge difference to us being able to cover costs.Most importantly, thanks for being here!