We talk about the power of actually turning off your phone and being alone with your thoughts. In our interview, Cal and I discuss some specifics of our addiction to our phones. He’s also bringing the wisdom to teach us how to detox from our addiction to social media and learn how to be more focused, intentional, and confident in every area of our lives. He’s in the studio with me today to share some of his research about how our phones affect us. His name is Cal Newport, and he’s an expert on digital media and how it affects us.

My guest today famously has never had a social media account. We lose our ability to focus and be creative. We forget how to engage in authentic relationships with other people. We experience this constant flow of information and stimulus, and as a result, we don’t know how to be alone with our thoughts. Our technology is like processed food - it tastes sugary and sweet in the moment, but in the long run, it’s terrible for our ability to grow, perform, and succeed.īut that addiction can have some pretty serious consequences. As a culture, we’re constantly hungry for the next “like,” the next retweet, the next comment.

Statistics show us that most people spend about 50 minutes every day on Facebook or other social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. How much time do you spend on your phone every day?

Deep work and digital minimalism