Author Neil Postman predicted thinking would go down the drain.

As far back as 1985, author and media theorist Neil Postman warned us that when entertainment becomes the dominant mode of communication, serious thinking suffers. We have gone from just TV reshaping our thinking……… to smartphones, social media and AI interfaces reshaping capacity for deep thought, not to mention attention and decision making as well.

Technology is not additive, it’s ecological. It changes everything around it, including the people using it. 

- Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

How can we reverse the decline of thinking?

In a recent podcast episode (105) of Your Undivided Attention, Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin from the Center for Humane Technology revisit Postman’s warnings. The parallels to today’s digital world are impossible to ignore.

Here are some current state observations along with suggestions for a better thinking future.

1. We adopt first, ask questions later.
Whether it’s Slack, ChatGBT, or the next hot tool, teams rarely pause to consider: How will this affect our ability to focus, collaborate, or reason clearly? 

We are swimming in tech.

As leaders we CAN start checking the water quality.

2. Our tools ARE our environment.
Tech isn’t just something we use. We live IN it. Literally, our faces are in screens. This makes intentional design of our work environment not a luxury—but a necessity.

Consider design options such as number of screens / monitors in front of us.

Teams CAN adopt digital minimalism, using a smaller number of tools and apps to create maximum value.

3. We overestimate our control.
I used to think I was charge of my tech habits. I am in control to some extent…..BUT…. attention-maximizing systems are designed to override self-regulation. The business models of the attention economy are designed to distract.

The result? A slow erosion of clarity, presence, and critical thinking.

It is hard to fight that all day if I stay in front of the screen.

I CAN, however, walk away frequently to give my brain, eyes and spine a rest.

Managers CAN model this behavior.

4. More information isn’t more wisdom.
Too much data results in analysis paralysis. Flooding our brains with notifications and fragmented messages doesn’t build insight either—it breeds fatigue.

Leaders CAN implement information hygiene in their organizations as seriously as they do cybersecurity.

5. Redesign for human capacity.
Unplugging alone will not solve brain drain or information overload.

Leaders CAN rethink how work is structured, how teams communicate, and how tools are selected and used—with brainpower and wellbeing in mind.

Your next steps 

• Review your team’s tools. Which help people think? Which mostly interrupt?

• Model digital boundaries. Normalize screen-free work blocks and respectful tech use.

• Don’t just ask what tech can do. Ask what it’s doing to your people.

Want help designing your team’s relationship with technology more intentionally?
👉 Let’s talk. You can book time here.

Until next time,
Michelle Natalya Moore