6 ideas
Distraction is not a single phenomenon but goal-interference that comes in two forms: distractions (irrelevant information competing for attention) and interruptions (deciding to pursue a second goal simultaneously). Both degrade performance because they tax the same limited cognitive control systems regardless of whether the trigger is internal or external.
Human cognitive control systems evolved for an environment with scarce information, but they now operate in one of constant information abundance. The mismatch is the root cause of digital distraction: our brains have a powerful drive to seek information, and technology exploits this by offering it without limit.
Just as animals decide when to abandon a depleting food patch for a richer one, humans switch between information sources when the perceived value of the current one drops below the expected value of switching. Digital environments lower the cost of switching to near zero, so we abandon tasks far sooner than optimal.
The brain cannot perform two attention-demanding tasks at once; what feels like multitasking is actually rapid switching between tasks. Each switch incurs a reconfiguration cost in time and accuracy, so multitasking systematically degrades performance even when it feels efficient.
Because distractions are driven partly by ease of access, deliberately increasing the friction to reach a tempting source reduces interference. Removing apps, turning off notifications, or placing the phone in another room works because it raises the cost of switching rather than relying on willpower.
Much technology interruption is internally generated by low tolerance for boredom and by anxiety about missing information. People check devices not because something new arrived but to relieve an uncomfortable internal state, making the switching habit self-reinforcing.