Robert Plotkin

Robert Plotkin joins us to speak about Technology for Mindfulness.

This past week I’ve seen not less than three popular media articles about how being online or using apps is counter to mindfulness, that by being online you are unavoidably living in a state of distraction and mindlessness. This is different from my own interactions with our devices and apps, seeing them as just tools, and that the wandering nature of our minds is not inherent to those tools. It’s what we choose to do with attention, whether it’s allowing distraction to call the shots, or mindfully using technology in ways that may be supportive of presence and practice.

Robert Plotkin is the Founder of Technology for Mindfulness, a leading blog and Top 40 iTunes podcast on science, technology, and mindfulness. In his Tap Into Mindfulness program, he teaches people how to be less distracted by their smartphones and how to retake control over their time to be more focused, productive, and creative. His unique approach to technology and mindfulness stems from his combination of expertise in technology (as an MIT-educated computer scientist), decades of experience with Japanese martial arts, and training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). He has written seven books on the social impact of computer technology, is a co-founder of the Hack Your Mind program at MIT, and the host of the Technology for Mindfulness podcast.

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Web Links

• Technology for Mindfulness

Music for This Episode Courtesy of Rodrigo Rodriguez

The music heard in this podcast is from Rodrigo Rodriguez. You can visit his website to hear more of his music, get the full discography, and view his upcoming tour dates.