Addicted to distraction

In the movie T2 Trainspotting, Mark Renton tells Spud:

You’re an addict! So be addicted! Be addicted to something else.

There’s something freeing about this admission. In a perfect world, we’d all be able to cure our tendencies for addiction. But for those of us who can’t, maybe developing a healthier addiction is the next best thing.

In the quote above, Renton was talking about addiction in regard to heroin, but I’ve been thinking about this line in terms of distraction, which has led me to this question: Are we, as humans, addicted to distraction? What if the need for distraction isn’t a defect that some of us are born with–what if it’s instead a feature of the human experience?

When we talk about curbing our use of smart phones or social media, we often talk about eliminating distraction. But what if this is the wrong way to think about breaking this habit? What if we’re better off looking for healthier distractions?

Distraction is at the heart of my hobbies: writing, sketching, reading. I won’t be precious about the root of these activities, but I will argue they’re better choices than doomscrolling or fighting with strangers online. Sure, my distractions of choice offer real benefits (creativity, knowledge, etc.). I also get a little high whenever someone connects with one of my creations. That connection’s never guaranteed. But you know what is guaranteed? Distraction.

Cal Newport often makes the point that, when stopping a bad habit, focusing only on what you’re giving is a recipe for failure. You’ll likely feel as if you’re losing something if you try only to eliminate or reduce your usage of technologies like smart phones or social media. You’re more likely to succeed in changing your habits if you focus on what you’re gaining. And, for me, it helps to accept I’m replacing one distraction with another. But I believe with all my being that distractions of art are leagues better than distractions that benefit Big Tech while leaving me anxious or numb.

I don’t have the data or science to back this up, but I can’t help feeling humans are wired for distraction, perhaps because distraction was once a luxury most couldn’t afford for most of humanity’s existence. And Big Tech has exploited that urge, much like how the food industry exploited our tastes for fats, sugars, and salts.

The solution to the food problem isn’t to stop eating; the solution is to eat better foods in healthier quantities. Maybe we should look at distraction through the same lens. If we’re destined to be addicted to distraction, then maybe we should make sure our distractions are those worthy of the addiction.