Ep. 393: Can Movies Save Us From Our Phones?

The podcast explores the impact of digital technology on cognitive patience, particularly regarding the ability to focus on feature-length films. It presents evidence from film professors and online forums indicating a decline in students' attention spans, attributing it to increased smartphone use and the constant stimulation of short-form content. Cal Newport introduces the concept of "cognitive patience" and explains how phones degrade it by strengthening short-term reward systems while weakening long-term gratification. He suggests practical techniques to rebuild cognitive patience, such as removing phones during movie watching and employing the "30-minute rule" to engage with film analysis. The discussion also covers Matt Schumer's viral essay on AI, critiquing its alarmist tone and inaccuracies, and touches on the potential benefits of social media abstinence for elite athletes.