Michael Ledger-Lomas

Our struggle to concentrate is nothing new

The buzz of modernity has plagued us since the Industrial Revolution – but even Thoreau tired of practising his ‘habit of attention’ at Walden Pond

Henry David Thoreau. [Getty Images] 
issue 01 April 2023
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  • Thoreau’s Axe: Distraction and Discipline in American Culture

    Caleb Smith

    Princeton University Press, pp. 256, £28

Our ruined attention spans seem to be the consequence of a recent fall from grace. Big Tech was our tempter. Having tasted its dopamine, we got hooked on its likes and notifications.

Even Thoreau got bored with practising his ‘habit of attention’ at Walden Pond

But while the digital attention economy is new, the struggle to concentrate is not.

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