We shouldn't worry about AI replacing our jobs. Instead, we should be concerned about it capturing our attention. Social media initially ensnared us, and AI is now refining that addictive hold. However, a growing movement is emerging to help us regain our concentration.
TL;DR
- AI's true threat is capturing attention, not replacing jobs, as seen with social media's addictive hold.
- Adults are now restricting their own screen time, highlighting a widespread struggle with digital distractions.
- Companies exploit behavioral psychology for engagement, leading to significant productivity losses and altered neural pathways.
- Warning labels are a start, but systemic changes are needed to hold platforms accountable for attention-eroding designs.
During my early twenties, I worked at Google, focusing on mastering the art of capturing human attention. I meticulously examined data to pinpoint the most effective methods for encouraging clicks, scrolls, and sustained engagement with YouTube or Google Search. I excelled in this role. The work was captivating, employing behavioral science and machine learning to forecast and shape the actions of billions of individuals.
At the time, I didn't grasp that I was contributing to the framework of addiction that characterizes contemporary existence.
Last month, a billboard appeared on Canal Street in NYC, stating: “Scrolling Kills.” It destroys our focus. Our time. The experiences with our kids, our thoughts, our existence.
In mere hours, it spread widely, not due to smart promotion, but because it articulated a sentiment felt by millions daily. The past year alone saw over one hundred million downloads of focus apps, as people acknowledged a common experience: hours disappearing into digital voids, with each alert diverting them from their priorities.
Washington's current situation lacks a crucial element: parents are now imposing screen time restrictions on their own mobile devices, rather than those of their teenage children. Adults are unable to demonstrate proper conduct if they themselves cannot maintain control over their actions. Despite the availability of groundbreaking technology, productivity has stagnated because individuals dedicate half their working hours to battling distractions. Self-control proves ineffective when confronted with systems meticulously designed, rigorously tested, and expertly refined to be utterly captivating.
Every congressional hearing on social media overlooks a crucial context. The core issue isn't solely misinformation or mental health concerns. Instead, it's the unchecked exploitation of behavioral psychology by private corporations for their own gain. For the past ten years, Silicon Valley has prioritized maximizing user engagement. This pursuit has resulted in a loss for the rest of us that is irreversible.
Warning labels are a starting point. However, they signify an acknowledgment that the situation we're facing is sufficiently hazardous to necessitate such a label.
The True Price of Excessive Negative News Consumption
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy advocated for social media warning labels in June 2024, with support from 42 state attorneys general. Concurrently, Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation” was achieving bestseller status, echoing the sentiment that the youth mental health crisis escalated alongside smartphone adoption. Dr. Murthy emphasized the availability of evidence, stating that action is now required.
Gen Z isn't the sole generation impacted. Adults are also losing comparable amounts of time, leading to a significant productivity cost. Studies indicate that the typical employee spends two hours each day on non-work-related screen activities during their working hours. Considering the time lost to context switching, where each disruption requires 15 minutes to regain focus, The Economist estimates the annual U.S. Productivity deficit surpasses $1 trillion. France's calculation places this figure at 2.9% of its total GDP.
We fantasize about four-day work weeks. We can’t even protect five-day ones.
The process is well-known: each scroll releases dopamine, and every alert offers reassurance. Stanford's Dr. Anna Lembke explains in Dopamine Nation that we're caught in constructed pleasure cycles intended to keep us constantly wanting more, always seeking the next fix. This was intentionally created by the platforms.
The advent of AI rendered the system unbeatable. We now navigate an internet where AI produces more content than humans. Our brains aren't equipped to sift through this. Researchers at Harvard Medical School have detailed how this alters our neural pathways, leading to heightened anxiety, diminished attention spans, and the erosion of our ability to engage in deep work.
Americans now average 5.5 hours daily on their phones, consuming almost a third of their conscious time. The typical age for a first smartphone is 12. By the time someone turns 40, they'll have dedicated seven years to screen time. This usage trend continues to rise.
Why Warning Labels Matter
On October 13, 2025, California enacted legislation mandating mental health warning labels on social media platforms, making it the second state to do so. As of January 1, 2027, these platforms are required to show warnings indicating that social media “can have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.”
This is significant as California is the location of Silicon Valley. When the tech industry's home region calls for responsibility, the situation has changed. It also supports Dr. Murthy's request for warnings similar to those for tobacco, endorsed by 42 state attorneys general. Warning labels are effective; they proved successful with tobacco and alcohol by altering societal attitudes and establishing legal accountability that drives genuine reform.
But warning labels are necessary, not sufficient.
What We Need Now
Lawmakers should go beyond just warning labels. They ought to implement California's approach across the country. Mandate openness regarding algorithmic manipulation. Allocate funds for impartial studies. Make platforms accountable for design choices that consistently erode users' capacity to manage their own time and focus.
Users of the next generation are choosing to disengage. Information from apps focused on usage, such as Opal, indicates that seventy percent of users are students who've calculated the price of endless scrolling. They aren't awaiting new rules. The opportunity to voluntarily update these systems is diminishing. Modify the product itself, not merely the public relations.
Parents, educators, and employers: Don't wait for policy changes. The necessary tools are already available. Understanding screen time's impact is now as crucial as knowing about nutrition. Establish settings that safeguard attention and encourage concentration.
Your focus is your most precious resource. Safeguard it as you would your well-being.
The Movement Is Already Here
While employed at Google in 2008, I drafted the initial business strategy for an application intended to address this issue. I recognized at that time that our creation was not optimized for human welfare. It required eleven years to develop, during which I observed brilliant technological professionals dedicating their efforts to devising methods for increasing ad clicks.
Social media companies thrive on user dependency; it's fundamental to their revenue streams. This explains why personal self-control is insufficient and why broader systemic adjustments are necessary. Our goal should be to harmonize technology with human welfare, rather than prioritizing short-term financial gains.
The economy of distraction is detrimental to our mental well-being, our output, and our capacity to engage with what's important. Warning labels are merely the initial step. We'll view this period similarly to how we recall tobacco advertisements that asserted “More Doctors Smoke Camels.”
Your attention is yours. Take it back.
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