Contemporary life includes a multitude of influences tugging at our attention, potentially distracting us from work, school, exercise, or other important domains. How well do we understand the trade-offs we’re making when we choose to scroll through social media rather than hunkering down on an important project? How astutely do we invest in tools that can help us focus on the goals we set for ourselves? Research from Chicago Booth’s Eric Zwick and his coauthors suggests we have significant room for improvement.