The Composite Human

It’s an adage I’ve found gratifyingly true. Often my phone sucks in my attention like a vortex. When it lies beside my laptop, I’m always tempted. No matter what I’m typing, no matter what I’m watching, my eyes feel a pull, and inevitably I give in, just to glance at the black mirror—and usually, the notifications are bland. If I’ve received any at all.

It’s the rush of dopamine, it’s the curiosity and the anticipation that keep my alertness hovering around that timesuck device. But things change when I can’t see it.

By merely hiding my phone under a pillow, my thoughts are more focused on the thing in front of me, whether it’s my laptop or a book I’m reading.

I feel that on a subconscious level, even if I’m deeply focused on a task, my brain has bits of awareness focused on my surroundings. And because smartphones are so huge in our lives, and have more functions than, say, a box of paper clips, it’s easier for them to steal our focus.

I can still get things done with my phone around, but I find the experience more pleasant when it’s hidden under something, or even in a different room.