Watch | Author Johann Hari on his new book, ‘Stolen Focus’
The Hindu
Journalist-writer Johann Hari defends his work and offers solutions
Johann Hari, after the scandals in 2011 involving plagiarism, took time off and boomeranged back with books tackling charged issues such as drug addiction (Chasing the Scream: The first and last days of the war on drugs, 2015) and depression (Lost Connections: Uncovering the real causes of depression, 2018).In his latest book Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention (Bloomsbury, ₹599), he broadens the question of attention beyond social media. What are all the things that rob us of our focus? What can we do as individuals? What should we do as a society?His argument is bleak: that as individuals there is only so much we can do. His solutions are, thus, systemic and radical — nationalising Facebook like the BBC, creating a paid-subscription model for social media, introducing four-day work weeks, banning surveillance capitalism, and letting children play freely without parental helicoptering.In a Zoom interview with The Hindu Weekend, he discusses these solutions and some of the criticism they have received.
Everyone talks about the Airport Metro, but one look at the pillars and completion seems nowhere in sight. Meanwhile, a faster, cheaper, roomier alternative called the Suburban Rail Airport Corridor is finally getting off the drawing board. This dedicated corridor with its specialised coaches will link the airport to vast stretches of Bengaluru, where the metro connection is still years away.