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Reading both of these monographs back-to-back was an outstanding idea, however unintentional it was. The message from both books formed a continuum from addiction to social media and how this relates to my state-of-mind and happiness, towards the pain of abstinence and the establishment of boundaries, before progressing into how to dive deep into the task at hand, with a now-unwavering attention span. This seemingly natural progression makes both works' message more impactful, and greater than the sum of its parts.
An interesting point in Dopamine Nation is that we're all liable to become addicted to something. For me, it's likely to be social media. I joined social media late relative to my peers. It instantly drew me in, and in retrospect, I was looking for my peers' approval, a sign that I was part of the in-group. This held through high school, undergraduate and postgraduate studies. The sign never truly came. In the years I've used social media, I witnessed its enshittification, for which I am thankful. It is this very enshittification that drove me from social media in the end, and got me out of that endless app-switching-loop that consumed my attention. While I maintain access to a Discord and a Bluesky account, there is no question I use far less social media these days than I have over the past decade.
With all my newfound time, I've taken to reading more — a lot more, in fact. I sailed through the Odyssey (pun not intended) in roughly a week. I then tackled Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke, just as Deep Work by Dr. Cal Newport cleared the mailbox flap and dropped onto the mat below with a satisfying thud. Finishing Dopamine Nation that evening, I thought it fair to pick up Deep Work on the spot and read the introduction before bed. It left me inspired, and perhaps bitter I had only found out about this book in my early thirties. I'm not quite done with Deep Work yet, but it's shaping up to be a book that greatly influences my career and my life.
Writing this post, I feel the anxiety paired with excitement I tend to experience when a major project is in its initial stages. Perhaps this is a sign that I care, and that I genuinely want to improve my life by enhancing my ability to focus on what matters. The fear of failure is a powerful motivator, after all, although it is not a guarantee of success. In any case, I am already benefitting from reading Dopamine Nation and Deep Work, in that I am more aware of my shortcomings and how I can improve these areas of my life. Ultimately, I wish to be a living example of the words printed on a plaque at work, which read 'Be here now;' it is clear to me Dr. Anna Lembke's and Dr. Cal Newport's works are pushing me to exemplify these words. For these two authors' contributions to my life, I am grateful.
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