Why we can't focus

5 Rules to Do Your Best Work

Engineers are losing the ability to focus.

And we don’t even realize it.

Every second, something is fighting for our attention.

• Your phone buzzes.

• A new video auto-plays.

• A notification pops up.

It never stops.

We are constantly stimulated. And it’s making focus a rare skill.

But here’s the scary part:

This isn’t an accident. It was designed this way.

The War for Your Attention

There’s a reason we can’t sit still and read a book.

• 200 years ago, people sat through 3-hour debates.

• Then TV shortened it to 60 minutes.

• Now, we scroll past videos in 5 seconds.

Our attention span didn’t just shrink. It was stolen.

Tech companies figured out something powerful:

🚨 If they keep us distracted, they make more money.

Every ping, every swipe, every auto-play is designed to keep us hooked.

Because the longer you stay, the more ads you see.

And this isn’t just social media.

News, entertainment, even Netflix - everything is optimized for endless consumption.

Your Brain is Rewiring

Think about it.

The more you train your brain to jump from one thing to the next, the harder it is to focus.

Your brain adapts.

• Read a long article? Feels impossible.

• Sit through a deep coding session? Feels exhausting.

• Work on something without checking your phone? Feels unnatural.

Because we are used to quick hits of dopamine.

When we open TikTok, a new video starts in milliseconds.

You never have to wait. You never have to think.

The internet isn’t just shortening our focus. It’s changing how we think.

And that’s terrifying.

But there’s more:

The people who built these platforms won't let their own kids use them! Steve Jobs didn't let his children use iPads.

They know what these tools do to our brains.

How to Take Back Your Focus

Here’s the truth:

You can rewire your brain. You just have to train it the right way.

1\ Read more.
Books force you to think deeply. They build focus like a mental gym.

2\ Take breaks from your phone.
Try one hour without it. Then half a day. Then a full day.

3\ Let yourself be bored.
Next time you’re waiting in line, don’t grab your phone. Just exist.

4\ Consume content that demands focus.
Not 10-second clips. Long-form articles. Documentaries. Real discussions.

5\ Go for a walk. No music, no podcasts.
Just your thoughts.

The World is Built to Distract You

Here's something that will blow your mind:

The average person touches their phone 2,617 times a day.

That's not a typo. But the best part?

While tech companies fight for your attention, their founders do the opposite. They pay thousands to attend camps where phones are banned.

They're buying back what we're giving away for free.

In a world of distraction, the engineers who can focus have a superpower.

Will that be you?