Ep. 397: Why Do “Productivity Technologies” Make My Job Worse?

A new study finds that for many workers, AI increases shallow efforts while decreasing time focusing on what really matters. This is not the first digital productivity technology to create this paradoxical effect. In today’s episode, Cal dives deep into why this happens and then details three strategies for avoiding these traps in your own professional life. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia DEEP DIVE: Why Do “Productivity Technologies” Make My Job Worse? [3:17] INBOX: An article about meetings [36:11] A case study on escaping email overload [47:29] A tool that makes the internet more boring [50:37] WHAT CAL IS UP TO: Deep or Crazy? [57:02] What Cal read [1:02:23] Cal in the news [1:05:57] Books: Reader, Come Home (Maryanne Wolf) What Do You Say? (William Stixrud and Ned Johnson) Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?pmresearcher.substack.com/p/why-meetings-multiplydocs.pluckeye.net/overview Thanks to our Sponsors: calderalab.com/deepcozyearth.com/deep (Use code “DEEP”)grammarly.comdrinkag1.com/deep Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Nate Mechler for research and newsletter, and Mark Miles for mastering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(426)

Am I Addicted to My Phone? (w/ Anna Lembke) | Monday Advice

Many of us ask the question if phone addiction is similar to other addictions. In this episode, Cal is joined by the #1 New York Times bestselling author Anna Lembke to explore this question. They div...

18 Maj 1h 26min

Is AI About to “Eat Everything”? | AI Reality Check

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Is AI about to “eat everything”? (2:53) What does the METR chart measure? ...

14 Maj 31min

Do I Need a Digital Intervention? | Monday Advice

A new research study reveals that a surprisingly simple intervention into your digital life can yield massive benefits in only two weeks. In this episode, Cal takes a deep dive into this paper, detail...

11 Maj 43min

Is the AI Doom Fever Breaking? | AI Reality Check

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Is the AI doom fever breaking? (4:30) Have the AI CEOs changed their tuen? (...

7 Maj 26min

Why Do Better Tools Make Me Worse at My Job? (w/ David Epstein) | Monday Advice

What can an obscure theory of industrial productivity teach us about producing better results in a distracted world? In this episode, Cal is joined by the #1 New York Times bestselling author David Ep...

4 Maj 1h 21min

Is AI About to Automate Every Office Job? | AI Reality Check

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode also at: youtube.com/calnewportmedia 0:00 Is AI About to Automate Every Office Job? 3:02 Other Tech Leaders Don’t...

30 Apr 33min

How Do I Build “Cognitive Fitness”? | Monday Advice

In his recent New York Times essay, Cal argued for a “cognitive fitness” revolution to resist the onslaught of digital tools degrading our ability to think. But how does one actually strengthen their ...

27 Apr 51min

Is AI Trending Up or Down in 2026? | AI Reality Check

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia 0:00 What has *Actually* Happened in AI in 2026? 3:07 Open Claw 27:53 Anthropic an...

23 Apr 1h 13min