Your Brain vs. Your Phone: Who’s Winning?
Welcome to month three of my 2026 reading challenge! As I said with the last post, if you’re an instructor and would like to borrow the following insights for your students, feel free to copy and paste the following as a class announcement. Enjoy!
I wanted to send out this announcement before the weekend- my book of the month for April is Stolen Focus by Johann Hari.
This book and the insights and tips I’ve learned (and many that I’ve come up with on my own- mentioned in the post) are so incredibly relevant to students in 2026. I’ve heard so many student speeches and read countless papers in my other communication courses about ‘doom scrolling’ the day away. It can be so hard to stop, but I’m hoping most young people are actively working toward ending that habit.
Read the blog post and implement some of the tips I mention that have worked for me- I promise you’ll feel much better!
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We all feel it. The shorter attention spans, wasted time on social media, and the inability to sometimes focus where it matters. We all feel the friction of these everyday issues, so I thought Stolen Focus would be perfect next book to read and then share the takeaways with students.
Ever thought you’re just not good at paying attention? What if I told you that more intentional use of your phone (and deliberate breaks from it), would actually cure you?
The book Stolen Focus by Johann Hari argues that our ability to pay attention is collapsing—not because we lack discipline, but because modern life is designed to distract us. That’s right, the world is designed to hurt our attention span and keep us from focusing (frustrating, right?).
The book explores how social media, constant notifications, stress, poor sleep, and even diet are eroding deep thinking. Johann Hari shows that tech companies intentionally design apps to keep us scrolling, while busy, high-pressure lifestyles leave our brains exhausted. He also emphasizes that focus isn’t just about individual willpower, it’s shaped by larger systems and environments. Ultimately, the book calls for both personal habits and societal changes to reclaim attention and think more deeply.
I hope reading the above made you feel like you want to take back your power (I’ve done so in recent years, and I have to tell you, it’s so much better on the other side!).
Here are 3 key takeaways for students and anyone who feels they need a change:
- It’s not your fault that you can’t focus.
Many distractions, especially phones and apps, are designed to capture your attention, so struggling to concentrate is a shared issue. This is not a personality trait of yours, it’s really just because of your reliance on your phone. Speaking from my own experience, if you can take a break from your phone here and there you’ll see an improvement in relationships, grades, work, health, and happiness. I highly encourage you, my students, to become more aware of your phone use and its impact on all areas of life. Awareness is the first step to seeing real improvements.
2. Multitasking actually hurts learning. Constantly switching between tasks (like homework and your phone) weakens memory and reduces understanding. Deep, single-task focus is far more effective. I have found that when I need to work or do something that requires my full attention, putting my phone in a bedroom drawer helps significantly. I know it might sound strange, but I noticed that even if my phone was far away I was still thinking about it, unless I felt that it was truly ‘put away.’ I encourage you to try it! Tuck it away, completely out of sight (and don’t just go on your computer or TV as a replacement- this is ‘no screens’ time!). Something else I do is make it off limits for 1-2 hours at a time (I set the timer on my microwave to do this, not my phone timer). At first you’ll worry that you’re going to miss something (give a it a few minutes, that ‘itchy’ feeling will go away), or that you might want to take a picture, check your texts, or add something to your Amazon cart, but remind yourself that you can do it after the timer goes off- after that hour passes just notice how you feel. I guarantee you’ll feel quite a bit happier and more focused (in my own experience, you might also feel that you were a little bit bored and it surprisingly felt really good).
3. Boredom and letting your mind wander are important. When you’re not constantly stimulated, your brain builds creativity, insight, and problem-solving skills—essential for real learning and growth. So if you’re trying to get better grades in online classes, for instance, try this: read the prompt for the next discussion that’s due in one of your classes, and I encourage you to write it down on a piece of paper. Then put your phone away for at least 30 minutes, refer back to the prompt during this 30 minutes, and let your mind wander. Close your eyes, stare out the window, go on a walk- really give yourself a chance to reflect. Then sit down at your computer to write after 30-60 minutes away from a device. How did it feel?
I truly hope that the above tips and takeaways have an impact on you all! I’ve heard so many student speeches recently talking about phone addiction, hours of ‘doom’ scrolling, and the negative impacts you all have seen it take in your lives and others. Remember, you can take back your time, your brain, your focus!
Happy learning and thriving!