Ep. 374: This is Your Brain on Phones

Ep. 374: This is Your Brain on Phones

It’s hard to cultivate a deep life when you cannot go more than a few minutes without checking your phone. In this episode, Cal looks closer at the precise neural mechanisms at play that make the physical act of looking at your phone irresistible. Then armed with this knowledge, he explains why many popular remedies fail, and which specific responses are most likely to succeed. He then answers listener questions and discusses the five old-fashioned analog books (!) that he read last month.

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: This is your brain on phones [0:02]

  • My 11 year-old is bullied for not having a smartphone. What should I do? [47:00]
  • How can I overcome my irrational urge to show off on social media? [55:39]
  • How is video game addiction different than phone addiction? [59:12]
  • Can I become addicted to messaging? [1:03:23]
  • Is it ok to use newspaper apps on my phone? [1:06:42]

CASE STUDY: A 5th grader drops her Apple Watch [1:13:51]

CALL: An aspiring photographer and Instagram [1:18:11]

SEPTEMBER BOOKS: The 5 Books Cal in September 2025 [1:22:51]

The Ice Limit (Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston)
The Burnout Society (Byung-Chul Han)
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (Cory Doctorow)
As a Jew (Sarah Hurwitz)
The Searcher (Tana French)

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?

Thanks to our Sponsors:

rag-bone.com (Use code “DEEP”)
grammarly.com/podcast
mybodytutor.com
indeed.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.


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Avsnitt(399)

Ep. 373: The Internet’s Best Advice for Reinventing Your Life

Ep. 373: The Internet’s Best Advice for Reinventing Your Life

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Ep. 372: Decoding TikTok’s Algorithm

Ep. 372: Decoding TikTok’s Algorithm

Last week, it was announced that Oracle would take over operation of TikTok in the US. One of the primary reasons proposed for this deal is that it was in national interests for us to take over contro...

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IN-DEPTH: Focus like a Nobel Prize Winner (w/ Brian Keating)

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal is joined by Dr. Brian Keating, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at UCSD, and one of the most prolific popularizers of science around (you may have ...

25 Sep 20251h 4min

Ep. 371: Is it Finally Time to Leave Social Media?

Ep. 371: Is it Finally Time to Leave Social Media?

We seem to be stuck in a purgatory when it comes to the worst of the social media platforms. We know they’re not great, but it’s hard to muster enough motivation to bother to leave. In today’s episode...

22 Sep 20251h 25min

Ep. 370: Deep Work in the Age of AI

Ep. 370: Deep Work in the Age of AI

A recent study called into question a core assumption about the generative AI revolution: that these tools, at the very least, will make us more productive. In this episode, Cal dives deep into the st...

15 Sep 20251h 10min

Ep. 369: Why Are We Getting Dumber? A Debate.

Ep. 369: Why Are We Getting Dumber? A Debate.

IQ scores had been steadily rising since WWII. But, more recently, this phenomenon has stopped.  Since 2010, we’ve actually been getting dumber. In this episode, Cal gets into the common theories for ...

8 Sep 20251h 33min

IN-DEPTH: The Game of Life (w/ Tim Ferriss)

IN-DEPTH: The Game of Life (w/ Tim Ferriss)

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal is joined by bestselling author and podcaster, Tim Ferriss. Tim rocketed to prominence with his 2007 book, “The Four Hour WorkWeek” which basically redefined a generat...

4 Sep 20251h 57min

Ep. 368: I Want Work-Life Balance. Am I Doomed to Mediocrity?

Ep. 368: I Want Work-Life Balance. Am I Doomed to Mediocrity?

A 22-year-old made a splash recently when he published a Wall Street Journal op-ed claiming that work-life balance makes you mediocre. He went on to brag about how sleeping less than 4 hours a night a...

1 Sep 20251h 27min

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