The Digital Human

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BBC Radio 4 LW

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

Aleks Krotoski explores the digital world

BBC Radio 4 FM

The Digital Human: Series 24: Unfocus

Unfocus

Series 24

BBC Radio 4 - The Digital Human, Series 24, Unfocus

Aleks Krotoski explores the digital world.

Aleks Krotoski asks whether we can exert more awareness and control over what grabs our attention and explores the pros and cons of focus and unfocus.

We've all had experiences of our attention wandering, usually at those moments when we most need to concentrate.

But, in our productivity-driven society, are we placing too much emphasis on paying attention and failing to recognise the benefits of more unstructured thought processes? After all, focus comes at a cost. With numerous demands on our attention, it's all too easy to experience burnout. Unfocus can recharge our batteries and allow us to be creative by making connections and connecting with other people.

In this episode, Aleks Krotoski explores some of the different modes of attention we can switch between and asks whether, perhaps, we should be awarding our unfocus equal status to our focus.


Producer: Lynsey Moyes

The Digital Human: Series 24

BBC Radio 4

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Series 24

Unfocus

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