What happens after you click a link? Something like this: a pop-up window asks if you want to join a mailing list. You accept the site’s cookies, and maybe close a second pop-up ad. Finally, you begin to read—until, somewhere on the page, a loud video starts to play. Fundamentally, the experience of using the Internet is one of perpetual distraction. Our Instaread on THE SHALLOWS examines what all the chaos and digital clutter is doing to your brain, and what you can do to stop it.
