Smartphones and social media are making people more anxious, distracted and disconnected.

Now, in this episode, I revisit my conversation with Cal Newport, author of Deep Work and Digital Minimalism.

Cal explores how our increasing reliance on smartphones and social media is eroding

our ability to focus, to perform deep work and even be alone with our thoughts. He explains how

the IGen generation, born after 1995, has been particularly affected with alarming rates of mental

health issues linked to the constant

presence of digital distractions. For the first time in human history, we can avoid solitude entirely,

but this avoidance comes at a huge cost. As we reflect on these themes, I also want to share my

free online course on beating burnout and finding flow.

These tools and strategies I share have transformed my life

and are designed to help you reduce overwhelm, improve focus

and find flow, peace and creativity.

It's available for a limited time and the link is in the show notes.

Here is Cal Newport.

As you know, I'm a huge fan of yours.

Now, I read a lot of books.

I get asked a lot for recommendations and some books for me are absolute musts for certain groups.

But I think your trilogy and in particular deep work and digital

minimalism, I would say they are really important, vital work almost, that I would recommend

anyone with any interest read, because they are so of the moment and we're going to get a bit

alarmist, I think. But can you

just give me a brief overview, if you like, of how one led to the other and how you came up

...