• Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt warns digital distractions are eroding focus advises switching off phones to regain attention
• Cites personal observations and brain science, noting that even researchers need to disconnect to think deeply
• Suggests mindful tech use using tools like Gemini AI in distraction-free settings as a balanced alternative to total unplugging

Technology is changing fast, and it's easier than ever to get in touch with people. But amidst all this flurry of social media and permanent notification, tech is certainly impacting mental health and making it more difficult for individuals to concentrate. The solution to this issue? Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt says you can take back focus by simply switching off your phone. Yes, the same individual who assisted in building one of the most powerful tech giants and who even introduced Android which is currently driving billions of humming devices is now claiming that these same devices are affecting our capacity to focus and think intently.

Talking on the Moonshots podcast, Schmidt talked about the effects of omnipresent digital noise, particularly on younger people attempting to do good work. "I deal with a lot of 20-somethings in research, one of the questions I had was, how do they do research with all these stimulations? I can answer the question definitively: they turn off their phone", he said.

Schmidt pointed to the role of advanced tech in this rising attention crisis. “We’ve essentially tried to monetise all of your waking hours, ads, entertainment, subscriptions it’s all competing for your attention, and that’s completely at odds with how humans are wired to think”, he said.

His words certainly ring true, particularly from a person who was previously heading Google, the company that has so many products centered on catching and holding user attention. But Schmidt didn't let the irony pass. "You can't think seriously as a researcher with this thing humming, pointing to the phone. Even those so-called relaxation apps, just switch the phone off. That's the way humans have relaxed for 70,000 years", he stated.

And this is not the first warning we have received regarding the red flags of digital distraction. Schmidt's remarks reflect wider increased caution among researchers and psychologists. Dr Gloria Mark, a noted researcher on attention, discovered in her research that the average span of attention on screen has fallen from 2.5 minutes twenty years ago to a mere 47 seconds today. The ramifications are far-reaching including a fragmented mind, poor memory, and heightened stress.

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Jim Kwik, also nicknamed the brain coach, author of Limitless, says that the issue with digital distraction isn't simply forgetfulness. It is the divided attention. "They blame their retention, but it's really more their attention, every ring, ping, and notification is driving us to distraction. And we wonder why we can't remember things in meetings or with our family", he said to Forbes.

Another study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) correlated digital distractions with diminished satisfaction and perceived learning. The researchers established that younger individuals, and disengaged learners in real-time learning spaces, were most susceptible. Pervasive activities such as checking the time, boredom scrolling, or instant messaging were all predictors of elevated distraction levels.

Whereas Schmidt focuses on shutting down the phone, he also provides an alternative method of maintaining the tech and the focus intact. He says individuals can still use technology, but in order to concentrate, they must strip themselves of the distractive parts. He gave his own example how he utilized Google's Gemini AI to brainstorm continuously for six hours on a flight and this became possible because there were no interruptions, no adverts, no social media. He advises that just switching off the technology may not work, one can still utilize it, provided one keeps away from distractions.

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