Summary of How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life | Nir Eyal | RSA Events

00:00:00 - 00:55:00

In this video, Nir Eyal discusses how technology can be a distraction and how to control one's attention in order to be productive. He discusses how Boston Consulting Group overcame a "distractible workplace culture" by implementing strategies such as psychological safety, giving employees a forum to talk about problems, and management exemplifying the culture. Nir Eyal suggests that we all have to find a way to talk about the problems with technology and distraction in the workplace in order to make progress.

• 00:00:00 Nir Eyal discusses the increase in distractibility among people in modern society, and discusses his new book, "Indestructible: How to Stop Yourself Being Distracted and Reclaim Your Time." He discusses how the book is aimed at helping people break bad habits and reclaim their time.
• 00:05:00 In this video, Nir Eyal explains how distraction can be helpful or harmful and how to control it. He points out that distraction can come from within or outside of us, and that external triggers, such as notifications, are the most common sources of distraction. He goes on to say that psychological discomfort, such as boredom, is the most common reason for behavior. He explains that everything we do is motivated by a desire to escape discomfort, and that the same rule applies to psychological and physiological discomfort.
• 00:10:00 The author of the book " Nir Eyal: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life" discusses the three ways to become more distraction-resistant: mastering internal triggers, making time for traction, and hacking back external triggers. He emphasizes that technology is not the sole contributor to distraction, and that individuals can take simple steps to hack back.
• 00:15:00 The speaker discusses how technology can be used to help control one's attention and life, citing examples such as using an outlet timer to turn off devices at a certain time of day or night, or using technology to block out distractions. He argues that individual problems can be seen as political problems, and that regulation of technology is necessary in order to prevent companies from suffocating.
• 00:20:00 In this talk, Nir Eyal discusses how technology can be used to control our attention and choose our life, as well as how companies can do more to help us use their products less. He also discusses how our environment shapes our behavior, and how we can build an indestructible workplace.
• 00:25:00 In this video, Nir Eyal discusses how technology can be a distraction and how to control one's attention in order to be productive. He discusses how Boston Consulting Group overcame a "distractible workplace culture" by implementing strategies such as psychological safety, giving employees a forum to talk about problems, and management exemplifying the culture. Nir Eyal suggests that we all have to find a way to talk about the problems with technology and distraction in the workplace in order to make progress.
• 00:30:00 In his talk, Nir Eyal discusses the importance of being skeptical of technology, and how we should use behavioral design techniques ethically. He also discusses the regret test, which is a way for designers to be empowered to run tests on their designs in order to assess whether they are effective and ethical.
• 00:35:00 The author discusses the purposes of a time box calendar, which is not to punish or shame oneself, but to understand how to create effective traction and distract from external triggers. He also discusses how to use email to effectively manage distractions, and how to keep a desktop uncluttered to reduce the number of distractions available.
• 00:40:00 In this video, Nir Eyal discusses how to control your attention and choose your life. He recommends labeling emails by when they need to be replied to in order to reduce the amount of time spent on email. He also recommends that time be allotted for "planned spontaneity," which is time spent doing things that are not necessarily planned or scheduled.
• 00:45:00 In this video, Nir Eyal discusses the concept of "distraction," which he believes is a problem due to its gendered nature. He points to research that shows that men are more likely to be distracted by tasks that can be scheduled and women are more likely to be distracted by tasks that cannot be scheduled. He encourages people to be honest about their needs and to discuss these needs with others in order to ensure that everyone has an equitable share of responsibilities. He then asks a question from the audience.
• 00:50:00 Nir Eyal discusses the dangers of using technology excessively, and how some behaviors can be addictive and not addicting. He gives the example of a print newspaper subscription that he cancelled, and discusses how one can avoid being a "roach" by knowing the dark patterns companies use. He also discusses how mobile phones can be life-saving, and how the bias against technology is unfounded.
• 00:55:00 Nir Eyal discusses the pros and cons of technology use among children, noting that while there may be some negative consequences associated with occasional use, there is no evidence to suggest that excessive screen time has a negative impact on overall mental health. He encourages parents to take a step back and assess their children's screen time habits, and recommends an app designed to help children disconnect from technology during mealtime.