Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 week agoWhy We Can't Pay Attention
Too many distractions and choices reduce self-control, persistence, and accuracy, with people switching tasks within minutes or seconds.
Social media is powerful because it taps into deep psychological needs and links them to fast, visible, and repeatable reward signals. It is not simply a matter of weak willpower or poor time management. A like, comment, message, or shared post is psychologically more than a technical notification—it can feel like a small moment of social resonance: I am seen. I belong. I have had an effect. I matter.
Early on in my own career, I was lucky enough to spend some time with Nick Kendall when he was head of planning at BBH and running the IPA Excellence Diploma. He gave some very simple advice that I didn't fully appreciate at the time. He said, 'no matter what, keep going.' Only all these years later do I realize how good his advice was, so I'm passing it on.