A later to Gen Z
by Dr. August Bones.
Dear Student,
Attention theft is one of the biggest problems we face in today’s digital world. Distraction has quietly become the default, and focus is now a skill that has to be trained on purpose.
Let’s be honest: the problem isn’t that you’re lazy, it’s that your phone is always calling your name. You sit down with good intentions, and five minutes later you’re scrolling without even remembering how you got there. That’s not a character flaw, that’s how these apps are designed to work.
The first thing to understand is that willpower alone won’t save you. It runs out fast. So instead of trying to ‘be strong,’ make it harder to get distracted. Put your phone in another room, turn off notifications, log out of apps if you have to, freeze the app, hide it (my personal favourite). When distraction takes effort, focus lasts longer without you fighting yourself.
Next, give your brain a routine. Work at the same time, in the same place, with the same setup. Even a small habit like opening your notebook or laptop before touching your phone trains your brain to switch into work mode automatically.
When it’s time to work, don’t tell yourself you’ll continue until you’re done. That feels heavy and makes you avoid starting. Instead, commit to just 25 minutes of full focus. Set a timer, work until it rings, then stop. That’s it. Most times, once you begin, momentum kicks in and you’ll want to continue anyway. Starting is the hardest part, this makes starting easy.
If you feel the urge to check your phone, don’t act on it immediately. Write it down so you remember it later, then go back to what you were doing. (In this way you are training your brain).
During breaks, don’t jump to another screen. Stand up, stretch, walk, breathe or do nothing for a minute. Boredom is not the enemy, it resets your attention.
Finally, use social media on purpose, not by accident. Choose a time for it and stick to that. And when you mess up (because everyone does), don’t beat yourself up. Reset and continue. Focus isn’t about being perfect, it’s about coming back, again and again.
You will succeed.
Copyright © 2026 Mahidul Haque. This post is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. You may read, learn, and share links to this post for non‑commercial, educational purposes, as long as you give appropriate attribution. You may not copy, reproduce, adapt, distribute, or use this work commercially without explicit permission.