Numb How the Information Age Dulls Our Senses and How We Can Get them Back

Discover how to manage this noisy world without it managing you.

In Numb, distinguished author Dr. Charles R. Chaffin delivers a fun and evidence-based exploration of how you can devote more attention on what you believe is important while ignoring the distractions that increasingly permeate your life. Using research from cognitive, education, positive, and clinical psychology, the book identifies the sources of noise and distraction in this information age and how we can manage it in all aspects of our lives.

You'll learn about:

• How experiences in technology, from social media to selfies to porn, impact our ability to engage and connect with others
• The news we consume and the impact of confirmation bias, filter bubbles, and tribalism
• How FOMO and choice overload impact our decision-making
• The power of our attention in all aspects of our daily lives

Perfect for anyone interested in the expanding impact of the information age on our collective psyche, ;Numb helps empower you to use technology and information not as a destination, but as a tool towards authenticity and empowerment.

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1: The Information Age

2: Can I Have Your Attention Please?

3: The News

4: Instagram Worthy

5: Who’s the Pigeon Now?

6: A Habit of Distraction

7: Tinder and I Are Registered at Amazon

8: Confirmation Bias

9: Compassion Fatigue

10: Too Much Information

11: FOMO

12: The Outrage Machine

13: Tribalism

14: Instant Gratification

15: Loneliness

16: Choice

17: Impulse Buying

18: Porn

19: Publisher or Platform?

20: Algorithms

21: Regaining the Feeling

DR. CHARLES R. CHAFFIN (Washington, DC) writes and speaks on a variety of topics related to cognition, attention, and human behavior. His research has focused on attention and multitasking and their relationship to human performance in a variety of settings. In his previous books, Chaffin takes complex topics, analyzes them, and through humor and short stories, makes them fun and accessible to a broader population.