Latest Articles

It has become common to blame social media for the rising rates of depression and anxiety among young people in the last two decades. But… How can we be sure that social media caused this increase in mental health issues—and that these trends didn’t simply happen to rise alongside each other? To me, the most compelling evidence comes from examining the moment the first major social media platform emerged. In this article, I walk you through research that provides causal evidence linking the gradual introduction of Facebook across American universities (2004-2006) to increases in depression and anxiety among university students, and discuss why this study is still relevant today.

Previously, I wrote about my struggles with technology use, feeling it impaired my productivity, social skills, and well-being. To address this, I ran a one-month self-experiment inspired by Cal Newport’s digital declutter, in which I replaced my smartphone with a dumbphone, didn’t use the internet at home, and blocked distracting websites when working with the laptop at the office. This self-experiment was life-changing, and it is why I remain very cautious about the use of digital technologies. In this article, I present the outcomes of a self-experiment with internet restrictions and two later experiences under even greater limitations, all between June 2019 and May 2020. I have included a brief update on my current use of digital technology at the end.

Previously, I shared a historical look at the attention economy and its consequences on our lives. Here, I offer my personal experience with the diffusion of mobile phones and the internet. The first version of this article was written and published on the 30th June 2019. The article captures my deep frustration with digital technologies and marks a turning point: I moved from using digital technologies mindlessly to intentionally adopting a digital minimalist perspective. The next day, I began a month-long experiment living without a smartphone or home internet. And my life has never been the same since.

The attention economy is a business model built on capturing and monetizing human attention. Rather than selling products directly, companies offer free or low-cost services and profit by selling access to users’ focus through advertising. From newspapers and television to social media and smartphones, this model has reshaped how we consume information and relate to one another. In this article, we examine the two main types of attention economy businesses and explore their psychological and social consequences, including distraction, compulsive use, status anxiety, and the growing erosion of sustained focus in everyday life.