Do we have a moral duty to direct our attention wisely?

Episode 236: In an era of alerts, feeds and endless scrolling, hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada examine who — or what — shapes where our focus lands.

The conversation begins with a familiar childhood command: “Pay attention.” For Kyte, that phrase always carried a quiet tension. It raised a deeper question about authority over one’s inner life. Who gets to decide what deserves space in our minds? A teacher in a classroom? A parent? A coach?

Today, that authority often comes not from a person but from a device. Phones buzz. Watches vibrate. Platforms send notifications engineered to keep us engaged. Each click, Kyte argues, is part of an unspoken contract in an economy built on capturing and holding concentration.

But not everyone resents this guidance. For some, curation feels like relief. In a world overflowing with choices — from grocery store aisles packed with options to streaming libraries with thousands of titles — narrowing the field can reduce anxiety. Still, the hosts ask whether outsourcing focus slowly erodes autonomy.

Kyte draws a distinction between choosing among options and cultivating the discipline to guide one’s own awareness. That discipline, he argues, is central to human flourishing. Repeated habits of focus shape character. Over time, they help form identity itself.

The discussion moves from social media to civic life. In a democracy, is there a responsibility to stay informed? How much awareness is enough? While it may be unrealistic to master every issue, the hosts suggest that complete disengagement carries its own risks.

They also explore a deeper philosophical claim: that concentration helps form the soul. By this, Kyte does not mean something mystical or abstract. Rather, he describes the self as a knowing subject shaped by relationships, interests and commitments. Where awareness goes, identity follows.

The episode closes with an ethical dilemma set at a scenic campsite. A brief glance at a screen draws criticism from a passerby. Is that judgment fair? Does a place of natural beauty create expectations about how we spend our time? And when others assume the worst, do we owe them an explanation?

Scott Rada is a digital strategist with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Kyte is also the author of "Finding Your Third Place: Building Happier Communities (and Making Great Friends Along the Way)."

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