Eric Schmidt, ex-CEO of Google and one of the internet’s most powerful architects, has a remarkably analog tip for today’s world: switch off your phone.
In an eye-opening interview on the Moonshots podcast, Schmidt, who used to oversee Google’s meteoric success — including starting Android — didn’t pull any punches about the adverse effects of smartphones on deep thought and mental clarity.
“You can’t think deeply as a researcher with this thing buzzing,” Schmidt replied, pointing to smartphones. “I work with lots of 20-somethings in research… They turn off their phone.”
It’s a far cry from the man who contributed to creating the very digital world that has captivated billions of brains across the globe. Android’s success unleashed a torrent of notifications, alerts, and dopamine-driven interfaces, turning smartphones into attention grabbers. But now Schmidt views the same technology as one of the greatest impediments to repeated, serious thought.
A World Built to Monetize Attention
Schmidt didn’t just stop at smartphones. He offered a sharp critique of the broader tech ecosystem and its relentless pursuit of user engagement.
“We’ve essentially tried to monetise all of your waking hours… some form of ads, some form of entertainment, some form of subscription,” he remarked. “It’s completely antithetical to the way humans traditionally work with respect to long thoughtful examination of principles.”
This commercialization of time, Schmidt argues, is a systemic problem — one that goes against the way the human mind is hardwired to think, contemplate, and process sophisticated ideas.
These observations are reinforced by an increasing body of scientific research that identifies the negative cognitive impacts of perpetual digital distraction.
The Science of Shattered Focus
Schmidt’s worry is not merely philosophical but is science-based. Gloria Mark, a University of California psychologist, has monitored the declining attention spans of digital users for the past two decades. Her study found that the average individual could hold attention on a screen for 2.5 minutes in the early 2000s. Now it has fallen to 47 seconds.
The consequences? Disrupted thinking, poorer memory retention, elevated stress levels, and lower satisfaction in learning. In a recent study, the U.S. National Institutes of Health discovered that tasks such as looking at the clock, distracted scrolling, or texting were strongly associated with lower perceived productivity and satisfaction, especially for Gen Z and millennial users.
“Digital Wellness” Is Not the Answer, Schmidt Says
In a twist of irony, Schmidt also chastised the digital well-being industry — a thriving market of apps, gadgets, and subscriptions marketed to assist humans in “unplugging.”
“My personal favorite are those digital apps that cause you to relax,” he laughed. “The proper thing to do in order to relax is to shut off your phone… and then relax in a normal way for, you know, 70,000 human years of living.”
Schmidt was deadpan, perhaps, but his point was unmistakable: there is no app that can replace actual disconnection.
But not everyone in the wellness community sees it that way. A Calm representative responded with, “Not all screen time is created equal.” Headspace’s Chief Clinical Officer Jenna Glover replied, “Telling young people to just ‘turn off their phone’ isn’t realistic or helpful… True digital wellness isn’t about going backwards 70,000 years, it’s about moving forward with intention.”
Their argument? In the world today, moderated, thoughtful use of technology — not abstinence — might be the more practical solution.
Tech Can Still Facilitate Deep Thought—If Designed Differently
Even with his criticisms, Schmidt is not completely antitechnology. In fact, he thinks technology can facilitate concentration — if designed appropriately.
He gave a personal anecdote of being on a long plane ride and using Google’s Gemini AI for almost six hours brainstorming and thinking undisturbed.
“No ads, no social media. Just me thinking.”
It’s not the device, in his opinion, that’s the problem — it’s how it’s designed. Tools that prioritize user boundaries, reduce interruptions, and allow for clarity can be a godsend for thinkers, creatives, and researchers.
Experts Concur: Attention is the New Currency
Other cognitions and productivity professionals are getting in line with Schmidt’s opinions. Brain coach Jim Kwik, author of Limitless, wrote to Forbes:
“Every ring, ping, and notification is driving us to distraction… People blame their memory, but it’s really their attention that’s under attack.”*
This “culture of attention deficit” isn’t merely one of people getting distracted — it’s retooling the operation of entire sectors, from education and health to media and policy-making.
So What’s the Solution?
For Eric Schmidt, it’s a matter of taking control back — moment by moment, notification by notification.
“Sometimes, the most revolutionary thing to do is turn your phone off,” he said. “That’s when the real thinking starts.”
In an age of relentless chatter, taking back silence may be the most rebellious thing we can do.
The call to action from the previous CEO of one of the planet’s most influential technology firms is a wake-up call to a generation addicted to pings and dopamine. It’s a reminder that profound thinking, creativity, and invention don’t result from continuous interaction — they result from turning off to tune in to thought itself.
