Numb. Charles R. Chaffin

Numb - Charles R. Chaffin


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is limited as images of tragedy become routine and conflict becomes the norm. We have more choices than we could ever imagine, everything from colleges to potential mates to brands of mustard. Yet many of us are paralyzed to decide, and in some cases are unhappy and mired in regret over past choices. The number of emails and text messages that we receive on a daily basis can be overwhelming to our Stone Age brains, causing us to struggle to filter the relevant from the irrelevant. Social media promises connection to billions of other humans around the world, yet we struggle with loneliness, tribalism, and FOMO as these platforms lure us into a dopamine loop that provides a short‐term fix, sometimes at the expense of authenticity. Algorithms provide us exactly what we want to read, watch, and engage, diminishing our horizons rather than expanding them, while at the same time facilitating a polarized society where common ground is, quite frankly, uncommon. With all of these factors in mind, it is not surprising that the information age is making us numb.

      I wanted Numb to have a real purpose in people's lives. It was not enough to identify the problems with this information age, many of which are quite apparent. But rather, I wanted to present real solutions. I interviewed over 60 professionals, ranging from psychologists to researchers to everyday people, to talk about ways that each of us can address many of the challenges that come from this information age. Each of these interviews has been incredibly useful in my own personal journey, and I hope you see the same value as you read. I present research from a variety of fields in a manner that I hope is digestible and relevant and, perhaps most importantly, answers the “so what” of many aspects of our lives. Nowhere in this book do I argue in favor of any type of technology oasis or dopamine fasting where we cut off our access to social media or any other platform or information source. Rather, Numb is written to help us use information and technology as a tool to make our lives better. Our smartphones, PCs, televisions, radios, and all the other devices that help us receive and create information can be useful to us if they are an accompaniment to our lives, rather than the primary focus of our attention.

      A special thank you to all of the researchers, clinicians, and everyday people who generously contributed to this book. Each one of them were asked to be part of this project because of their expertise and, perhaps more importantly, their willingness to help others. I hope that each of their voices shines through in this book.

      Thank you to the team at Wiley for believing in this project from the very beginning and supporting this vision. It was a long time coming to fruition, and throughout, Wiley was steadfast in their support. I cannot imagine a better creative partner.

      Our attention impacts our world and our world impacts our attention. With attention comes our awareness. Sometimes focused, sometimes divided, our attention helps us in our work, using our knowledge and skills towards everything from problem solving to creating a safe work environment on a job site. It also brings a focus on those around us, noticing their behavior and appearance, what they say and how they say it. With our attention also comes compassion towards the suffering of our neighbor or those far away. Attention is that critical prerequisite to so many of the thoughts, feelings, and actions that make us human. Being educated, skilled, or even empathetic means little without attention. If our attention is not focused on a conversation, we cannot bring our perspective, expertise, or caring to that dialogue. One could have all of the resources in the world to cure disease, fight hunger, or end wars, but if her attention isn't focused on those problems, those resources are not much use.


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