Digital Exhaustion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your Life

Leonardi (The Digital Mindset), a technology management professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, delivers a helpful guide to managing the overwhelm created by digital technologies. The platforms that permeate daily life—social media, email, Zoom, ChatGPT, streaming services—are draining users of their energy, desire to do things, and ability to focus, Leonardi contends. Acknowledging that people can’t simply stop using their devices, he argues that they can learn to use them in ways that help them lead happier, more efficient lives. Leonardi unpacks how digital devices cause burnout by fragmenting people’s attention, forcing them to constantly think about how they are perceived, and triggering strong emotions. To build resilience, Leonardi advises readers to cut in half the number of digital tools they use, resist the urge to respond to messages immediately, and establish one’s intention before picking up a device. In the workplace, he encourages managers to stop implementing new digital technologies, and at home, he urges parents to ditch their devices when in front of their kids. While Leonardi’s ideas aren’t particularly innovative, he offers a nuanced perspective of technology use that acknowledges the demands of modern life while providing practical tools for reducing fatigue. Readers will be inspired to reassess their relationship with screens. (Oct.)