F*CK, ARE SCREENS MAKING US STUPID? WITH DR MARK WILLIAMS
Guest: Dr Mark Williams
Season 2, conversation 3 · Published 15 May 2026
What our screens are quietly doing to our focus, our sleep, and our brains.
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About Dr Mark Williams: Neuroscientist, cognitive neuroscience professor, author of The Connected Species.
Conversation guide
We’re together. But are we actually here? Mark and I talk about screens, attention and making room for the people in front of us. The alerts, the switching between things, the habit of filling every spare moment. There’s a lot to be curious about in our everyday routines.
- Quiet alerts that keep interrupting your focus.
- Try a side-by-side chat with your teen.
- Read where your kids can see you.
Notice where your attention goes, and choose where it could go.
When am I with someone but not really there?
Try this week: Put your phone out of reach for one meal or catch-up this week and notice what changes.
These ideas come from our conversation. The activities are a few suggestions to try, when you’re ready. This reflection guide does not claim to prevent dementia or treat memory symptoms.
Transcript excerpt.
YouTube · 22:37-23:14
Read the source transcript on Buzzsprout
Conversation excerpt · 22:37-23:14
[22:37] >> plus you've got to be bored to be [22:39] innovative and creative, right? You've [22:41] got to actually allow yourself to sit in [22:43] the moment, which is really, really [22:44] important. And also kids don't I don't I [22:46] think kids these days have a lot of [22:49] trouble working out what they want to [22:50] be, right? Because they never actually [22:52] get a chance to think about what they [22:53] want to be. They're forced into all [22:55] these different whatevers [22:57] >> and and then that's what they think is [23:00] them and that's what they should be. [23:03] Whereas giving kids time to just be in [23:06] themselves and play and do things like [23:08] that, they'll work work out what they [23:10] actually want to be [23:12] >> what they want to do rather than what [23:14] you think they should be doing.
Topics: HEALTH, IDENTITY
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