In the past, we could easily focus while sitting and reading a book, getting lost in a story, or listening to someone without constantly being interrupted by mobile notifications; however, this is becoming a challenge for us today. We live in a culture of distraction where our minds flit about, whether we are in a lecture, in a classroom, in a café, or even at a temple.

The buzz of cell phones interrupt class discussions, students surreptitiously check their phones during lectures, and, often, prayer and rituals turn into a photo opportunity.  In a society where attention is divided, the ability to persevere has become a rare quality.

Every day in my class, I witness how students’ mental habits and the very structure of their thinking have changed to the extent where it is impossible for them to concentrate during an hour-long discussion without looking at their phones. The attention that they need, for instance, to understand either complex arguments or appreciate poetry is now being replaced by their endless appetite for amusement and novelty.

Attention is under attack today, with apps, notifications, and media platforms demanding our time. Our economy has shifted from selling goods to selling our attention to algorithms and advertisers.

Information overload, according to psychologist Herbert Simon, leads to a lack of focus. This was once thought of as a theoretical caution, but it is now a reality: every scroll, ping, short video, and reel conditions the mind to constantly seek stimulation at the expense of introspection.

In his book The Shallows (2010), Nicholas Carr claims that the Internet is rewiring our brains, making us “skimmers”, not “thinkers”; it is substituting the contemplative mind with the restless mind.

Attention has a cognitive function that also promotes morality, empathy, and learning. When we pay attention to a text, a problem, or an idea, we understand its meaning; when we listen to someone intently, we accept them as a valuable person; and when we pay superficial attention, our relationships, learning, and creativity are all impacted.

In the Indian tradition, meditation was a spiritual practice long before the fields of neuroscience and cognitive psychology. Arjuna learns from Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita that although the mind is “restless, turbulent, and stubborn”, it can be subdued with practice and detachment. The Sanskrit term shraddha, which is frequently translated as ‘faith’, actually refers to concentrated attention; to pay attention is to honour someone or something and be totally present.

In yoga tradition, there are two steps, dharana (concentration) and dhyana (meditation), which lead to samadhi, or deep absorption. A mind that is disciplined can maintain focus. In a similar vein, sati or ‘mindfulness’ in Buddhist philosophy refers to ‘right attention’, or the capacity to be fully present in the here and now without interruption.

Long-term immersion, memorisation, and listening were given particular attention in our Gurukul educational system. The mind was trained to handle complexity through this process. However, the modern classroom is increasingly at risk from the digital environment. Students’ incapacity to focus is indicative of the shift in civilisation from contemplation to consumption.

Now, distraction is commonplace. We look at our phones hundreds of times a day, scrolling through them even when we are bored, exhausted, or nervous, creating an increasingly uncomfortable feeling that our thoughts are no longer our own. As noted by Shoshana Zuboff in The Age of Surveillance Capitalism (2018), our behaviour becomes more predictable and profitable as we become more preoccupied online.

Reclaiming the lost art of paying attention is a political and personal act, beginning with small acts like not wearing earphones while walking or refraining from using your phone during study sessions or mealtimes. Paying attention to the world, a leaf, a line of poetry, or a human being is one way to resist the culture of distraction. As poet Mary Oliver states, “Attention is the beginning of devotion.”

These behaviours train the mind to lead a peaceful life. Fragmented consciousness can be treated by meditation, journaling, and slow reading. Students should be taught to read slowly, sit with ambiguity, and listen without interrupting. The reward is not only effective learning but also a profound understanding of life.

When we focus, we regain our humanity. It is the purest form of giving and the most generous act of caring; it is recognising someone’s worth and the significance of a thought. This is referred to as ekagrata in Indian philosophy. The mind that can concentrate sees things as they are, whereas the mind that cannot concentrate never finds peace because it is constantly elsewhere. Is this why our ancestors understood that maintaining focus was not a mere act of clarity but a virtue?

Although we cannot stop technology or go back in time, we can choose how we use it. The future belongs to those who are able to maintain focus in the middle of chaos and frenzy. If being distracted is the disease of our time, then paying attention is the remedy.

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