Defeating Digital Distraction with Caroline Cadwell of Unpluq

Impact Innovators at the Fireside

In this episode of Impact Innovators, we dive deep into the battle against digital distraction with Caroline Cadwell, co-founder of Unpluq. After experiencing burnout from constant digital interruptions in her own tech career, Caroline set out to solve one of modern life's most pervasive challenges: our inability to disconnect from our phones.

Rather than advocating for digital abstinence, Caroline shares Unpluq's innovative approach: using physical technology to help us make more intentional choices about our screen time. The results speak for themselves - users save an average of 82 minutes daily for offline activities, with lasting behavioral change that extends far beyond the typical app retention rates.
We explore the fascinating evolution of our attention crisis, from the rise of 24/7 news to today's algorithmic content feeds. Caroline offers unique insights into why traditional digital wellness solutions fail and how adding physical friction to our phone use might be the key to reclaiming our attention.

Whether you're a tech professional questioning your relationship with technology, a parent concerned about screen time, or simply someone who's ever fallen into a two-hour social media vortex after checking the time, this episode offers practical wisdom for breaking free from digital distraction while staying connected to technology's benefits.

Key Topics:

• The psychology behind digital distraction
• Why adding friction to technology can lead to better habits
• How the attention economy shapes our behavior
• Practical solutions for maintaining digital wellness
• The future of human-technology interaction

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction: The Social Media Vortex
• (00:18) - Meet Caroline Cadwell: The Tech Pioneer
• (01:22) - The Problem of Digital Distraction
• (03:02) - Caroline's Journey to Unpluq
• (05:56) - How Unpluq Works
• (12:21) - The Evolution of Media Consumption
• (23:11) - The Future of Digital Wellness
• (31:01) - Unpluq's Mission and Fundraising

🎧 Subscribe to Impact Innovators at the Fireside: https://impactinnovators.transistor.fm/

🔄 Break free from distraction with Unpluq: https://unpluq.com
💰 Join Unpluq's investment round: https://wefunder.com/unpluq
🎯 Follow Caroline Cadwell https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinecadwell/
🧠 Center for Humane Technology - Understanding the attention economy: https://www.humanetech.com
📱 Follow Arjé Cahn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjecahn/

**Production credits and thanks yous:**
Music by Allerd van den Bremen