Why You Should Quit Social Media in 2026 | Cal Newport

Cal Newport (0:00)

We could be doing 10 things today instead of five if we were just willing to do it. So the real question is, how do I get the most productive output out of this brain today? And there the answer is rarely, let's give it as many things as possible to work on. That actually reduces the amount of useful output that brain can produce.

Michael Gervais (0:15)

I hear it all the time. So many of us feel overwhelmed and scattered and behind, but what if it's not because you're doing too little, but because you're actually doing too much all at once?

Cal Newport (0:25)

If I have five tasks that I'm actively working on, I have to contend with the overhead of five tasks, and that is going to jam up the whole cognitive apparatus. If I instead work on one thing, and then when I'm done, take on a next, and take on a next, I'll get those five things done much quicker overall. The quality is going to go up.

Michael Gervais (0:41)

We are excited to be back for a fresh start in 2026 So as ever, welcome back, or welcome to the Finding Mastery podcast, where we dive into the minds of the world's greatest thinkers and doers. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Gervais. By trade and trading, a high performance psychologist. And the idea behind these conversations is simple. It's to sit with the extraordinary, to learn, to really learn how they work from the inside out. Today's conversation is with Cal Newport, computer science professor at Georgetown University, bestselling author and one of the most influential voices on focus, productivity and deep costs of our digital lives.

Cal Newport (1:17)

TikTok wants you to use it as much as possible. They make more money the more you use it. You have to completely change your relationship with devices. You have to be in control, not letting like four or five large companies that run these attention economy empires run your attention in your life.

Michael Gervais (1:30)

We unpack digital fatigue in both work and life, the dangerous trade-offs being made with smartphones and social media, and how parents can make clearer decisions about technology in the home.

Cal Newport (1:40)

I think the evidence here is really clear. Don't have a smartphone till high school, and even then it's a locked down smartphone. Like that's really like 16 plus or post puberty. And then even after the kid has the phone, my argument is like as long as you live in this house, when you're at home, the phone is plugged in the kitchen. You don't get it while you watch TV, and you certainly don't get to bring it up to your room and stay up till 3 a.m. And we look ahead to the future of AI.

Michael Gervais (2:01)

Not with fear, but with clarity about what it should and should not replace.

Cal Newport (2:05)

I have a vision of AI that I think is much more gentle and controllable and productive. It's not scary, but there's a lot of things in our lives that are easier, just like the web made a lot of things in our lives easier. Like I don't have to look up this company in the yellow pages and call them to see when their hours are. I can go to their website. So I think there could be big booms from AI that aren't sonic booms.

Michael Gervais (2:23)

So as you listen, I want you to consider, how might your work, your family life and your sense of peace shift if your attention became something you fiercely protected? With that, let's jump into this week's conversation with Cal Newport. Wow, it's been a long time since we've been able to connect. And what a great excuse to have a podcast to be able to do this. So it's great to have you back on the show, and it's a treat to have a conversation with you. So thanks for coming back on.

Cal Newport (2:56)

Well, I think all podcasters secretly know this is why we do it. It's an excuse to talk to interesting people that the other people in our lives will put up with. Like, no, no, I gotta go work. I gotta go get on my podcast, it's work. It's work.

Michael Gervais (3:09)

Actually, it's just, it's like, it is intellectual, heartfelt candy, you know, that we get to noodle on. So, okay, let's start this way. I hear this a lot and I've been wanting to ask you this question. So what I hear often is, I'm doing nine to 12 things reasonably well. I want to do three things exceptionally well. Can you open up, you know, how you go about thinking about that dilemma?