On A Mission

In Johann Hari’s book, Stolen Focus: Why you can’t pay attention – and how to think deeply again (2023), he attributes one of the reasons for a loss in focus to a dramatic drop in “free play and free inquiry”. He shared an experience from his trip to Columbia where he watched children chase each other around, with just other kids to watch over them, contrasting it to confined nature of many upbringings in the developed world.

“The evidence couldn’t be clearer: if you stop kids from acting on their natural desire to run around, on average, their attention, and the overall health of their brains, will suffer.”

While some experts say genetics accounts for an ADHD diagnosis, how those genetics show up for better or for worse, has everything to do with the environment people are living and working within. In Daniel H. Pink’s book, a Whole New Mind (2006), he speaks about play’s role in activating the right-unlimited part of the brain. He calls out the role of play in video gaming and the reason why U.S. consumers spend significantly more on gaming than on movies. And the close relationship between humor and emotional intelligence.

Technology has played a big role in my sons’ relationships and I’ve overheard them both having so much fun talking with their friends through online games. It is one of the perks of parenting in this era to overhear them literally squealing with laughter. In the book Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen by Michelle Icard (2021) she talks about focusing on the basic human behaviors you want your child to follow, whether in real life or on screen. Having fun and forming connections with others is a primary motive for most people, especially for youth who learn so much through play.

When I take walks at the apartment where I am currently living, I see a group of young men climbing out of a car to play cricket. They are playing on a baseball field with a tennis ball, so it doesn’t look to be a serious game, but they do look to be having fun. Even as a bystander, it is so much fun to watch or hear other people enjoy themselves.

Fun much like laughter and hiccups, is contagious. It’s a free and positive energy that can help everyone find more focus.