Quick Reads: “The Distraction Addiction” by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang


 

The Distraction Addiction

The Distraction Addiction

By Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY

In this rumination on our shrinking digital-era attention spans, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang reminds us that our brains are still capable of feats far beyond the reach of computers. We may be afflicted with “monkey mind,” he concludes, but rather than fight our compulsions with web-blocking software like Freedom, we’re better off embracing technology as an extension of self, wielding it as unthinkingly as we would a bionic arm.

This review originally appeared in our July/August issue of Mother Jones. 

 


If you buy a book using our Bookshop link, a small share of the proceeds supports our journalism.

Keep us relentless, independent, and free to read.

For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:

    • Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account

    • Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations

    • Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall

But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.

Keep us relentless, independent, and free to read.

For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:

    • Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account

    • Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations

    • Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall

But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

INDEPENDENT. BECAUSE OF YOU.

Mother Jones has no billionaires calling the shots—just readers like you making fearless reporting possible

Donate