Spend less time lost in the scroll
The Attention Experiment is a practical guide for parents, teachers and trusted adults. Seven short experiments show you what pulls you into your phone, and how to get yourself back out. Then you try it together, at home or in class, without becoming the phone police.
Also at BookVault and The Great British Bookshop, or order copies for a school.
We worry they’re glued to their phones. Then we check ours.
We put the phone down two minutes ago, and somehow it’s back in our hand. And they notice: nearly half of teens, when asked, said we’re distracted by our phones when they’re trying to talk to us.
They’re learning how to live with technology by watching us. Right now.
It isn’t your fault. We’re hooked by design. Apps are built to be irresistible. On. Purpose.
So this book won’t judge you, or tell you to throw the phone out the window (even if some days you’d like to).
Rules can help, but they aren’t enough on their own. The Attention Experiment starts with our own phones, then gives us a way to talk about devices, at home and in class, that doesn’t start with “because I said so”.
Four words for the moment the phone takes over
The whole book is built on one simple sequence. When you catch yourself in a Scroll Loop, you say so, out loud or in your head, and then choose what happens next.
Scroll
You pick up the phone. Scrolling on purpose isn’t a problem.
Loop
The scrolling carries on by itself, pulled along by persuasive design.
Notice
You catch it and say “I’m in a Scroll Loop.” That sentence is the whole skill.
Choose
Carry on, or do something else. Either way, you choose it.
A book you do
Seven short experiments
Each one asks you to predict, try it, then write down what you found. Small enough to fit into a normal day.
Start with your own phone
You notice your own Scroll Loops first, so the conversation with young people starts from honesty, not rules.
Try it together
Ways to run the experiment as a family or a class, with questions that get everyone talking, adults included.
Pages to photocopy
Including Your seven days and The Attention Experiment guide, for the fridge, a classroom board or a staff room.
Notes for teachers
Ideas for using the experiments in class, linked to attention literacy, metacognition and PSHE.
Room to write
Write-in spaces throughout, so the book becomes a record of what you noticed and what changed.
A peek at the pages
Flick through a few pages. Tap a page to open it full size.
Experiments 1 and 2The urge to reach, and Scroll Loop Bingo1 / 5
For the adults young people are watching
Parents and carers
Who are tired of arguments about screen time, and want a way in that doesn’t start with taking the phone away.
Teachers and schools
Who want a simple shared language for attention that works in class, in assemblies and at home.
Trusted adults
Grandparents, godparents, youth workers, coaches, anyone a young person looks up to. And anyone who simply wants to scroll less.
As a teenager I find this really useful. Scroll Loop Notice Choose is now my way of recognising when I am in a scroll loop or been on my phone for a long time.
Our family have been using the mantra of Scroll, Loop, Notice, Choose and it’s making a real difference for us all.
I found myself opening an app and I was like, why am I opening it? Don’t really wanna look. So yeah, it works!
The Attention Experiment, in paperback
A book to write in, try out and pass around, at home or in the classroom. £10.99.
Ordering for a school, staff team or group? Bulk discounts are available. Email Katie for a price.
ISBN 978-1-7397119-5-5 · Published by Kdot’s House
Katie Brockhurst
Katie is a qualified digital wellbeing coach who has spent more than 25 years working inside social media. Her evidence on AI and education has been published by Parliament, and she now brings The Attention Experiment to schools and organisations. She is also the author of the Social Media for a New Age books.
Before you buy
Is this book for children or adults?
It’s written for adults: parents, carers, teachers and other trusted adults. You start with your own phone, then use the experiments with the young people around you.
How is this different from screen time rules?
Rules can help, but they aren’t enough on their own. The book teaches noticing: catching the moment the scrolling carries on without you choosing it. It works alongside any rules you already have.
Can I photocopy pages for my class?
Yes. The photocopiable pages are marked, and you may copy them for home or classroom use. You can also print the guide, the body map and the experiment tracker free.
Is there a free way to try it first?
Yes. The free seven-day experiment walks you through the practice on your phone, with no account and nothing to download.
Can Katie run this with our school or workplace?
Yes. Katie runs staff training, assemblies and workshops. See schools and workplace, or email Katie.
Book one of The Attention Experiment
This first book is about scrolling and social media. The same way of noticing is now being applied to AI, through the Prompt Loop. Follow along on Substack to hear about what comes next.