Focus Siktha? ( Got focus? ) – This has been a raging phrase over the last couple of months more so with the Kannada movie-watching community after the release of the much anticipated directorial return of Upendra through the movie “UI”.
Though there are multiple aspects including creative, philosophical, circumstantial, etc in which you can decipher the movie – the bigger agenda or the message has been to let viewers answer the question to themself – Focus Siktha? ( Got focus? ). While for many it takes time and for some, it’s still far away from interpreting what Director Upendra is trying to tell – the simpler explanation is – to concentrate and spend time and energy on things that are important to you and now than worry about other things ( materialistic or momentary ) from past or future with a clear emphasis on the impact of social media and short-form content freely available on the phones on us.
What I vividly related to while watching the movie, and even after stepping outside, was a connection to an article I had read. The article discussed how attention spans—of both kids and adults—are drastically declining due to the overwhelming amount of information bombarding us every second, especially from short-form videos like reels and shorts. The constant shift in topics, genres, moods, and even sounds in this type of content causes people to lose track of what they’re watching, often just minutes ago. This phenomenon seems to be undermining our ability to concentrate, resulting in a noticeable lack of focus. I’ve also observed this to be justified, especially in group conversations, that people quickly seek topic changes and appear disinterested if a discussion lasts too long. The constant flood of notifications, the dopamine rush from endless scrolling, and the addictive nature of short-form content have made it harder than ever to focus on our goals and live intentionally. If you’ve ever found yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media or binge-watching short videos, you’re not alone. These distractions are designed to keep us hooked, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
This brings us back to the main topic: unless we actively push ourselves to break free from the cycle of social media distractions, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to concentrate and achieve what we desire in life, ultimately leading to failure. Therefore, it is up to you to analyze your situation and determine the direction you are heading in, both professionally and personally. Ask yourself: Do I truly have the focus I want? What is preventing me from achieving it?
- One can try to do these things to get away from the distraction zone!
- Set Clear Goals and Priorities
- Create Designated “No-Distraction” Zones
- Limit Social Media Consumption
- Embrace Slow Consumption
- Practice Digital Detox
<Update> After publishing the above blog I bumped into one book which resonates very well with what I was trying to articulate in the post above. For those interested in reading it then you can pick that up here > Dopamine Detox or maybe listen to this audio version I found on YouTube