Stolen Focus: a reminder to reconnect with what's intrinsically important

I had an amusing conversation with my godson the other day attempting to

convince him that people used to smoke on the tube…

This had been on my mind after enjoying Johann Hari’s latest book Stolen

Focus… One of the main premises of the book is that there will be a societal

movement toward a future where we look back in disbelief at the sight of a

child scrolling endlessly on a smartphone — in the same way we now look back

at people smoking on trains.

His book is both a warning and a call to action: our ability to pay attention is

shrinking, and it’s not just because of individual weakness or lack of willpower.

Our focus is being stolen— by technology designed to keep us hooked, by

cultures that reward busyness over depth, and by environments that strip away

the conditions for real concentration.

For someone who has spent their career encouraging humanity and

connection between leaders and their people - it really struck a chord.

One of Hari’s most striking arguments is about children. How constant

stimulation and external metrics are eroding their ability to discover and

develop their own intrinsic motivations. Instead of free play, exploration, and

curiosity, many kids are funnelled into cycles of distraction, measurement and

helicopter parenting.

But adults themselves aren’t immune. Leaders, too, can find themselves

endlessly reactive — pulled in multiple directions, driven by external demands

rather than inner purpose. The result is the same: presence is lost, clarity

disappears, and leadership becomes a series of tasks rather than a felt

experience of direction and connection.

I really liked the fact that Hari doesn’t just report on a societal shift in focus; he

experiments on himself. In one chapter, he describes a self-imposed digital

detox — stepping away from screens and notifications to see what happens.

What he discovers isn’t just theoretical knowledge. It’s something deeper: the

experience of renewed focus, creativity, and calm - the journey into this and out

of it… (I tried a similar experiment on my summer holiday in Cornwall.. I’m still

not sure which part was harder they transition out or the way back “in”!! )

I notice this week Meta has started to offer one of the suggested solutions in the

book … a subscription version of Facebook and Instagram… would you pay £3 a

month to avoid the theft of your attention by those pesky algorithms …?

And yes — there’s some irony here. We’re asking for your attention in a

newsletter about how easily it gets stolen.

Hari would argue the difference lies in intention. Our aim isn’t to distract or

hook you, but to offer you a pause. A moment to reflect. Hopefully a chance to

reconnect with what’s intrinsically important. This book was a timely reminder

for me.