Jianfa Tsai’s Input
Humans are visual creatures and are easily distracted by what they see. Some people don’t read physical books because, when they open a book at their desk, they get psychologically distracted by the colourful computer monitor behind it. Max global profits by educating children, teenagers and adults to buy a second reading armchair to place behind the back of the computer monitor, so when you sit at the reading chair, your eyes are not looking at a screen. This allows you to focus. When you need to take notes or look up a word definition, simply use your phone or smart speakers to enjoy the exercise of a short walk to the desk behind you to access your computer.
Simplified Overview
Sometimes it is hard to read a book at your desk because the bright computer screen distracts your eyes. A great way to fix this is to put a comfy reading chair on the other side of your desk, facing completely away from the monitor. This hides the distracting screen from your view so you can focus on your book. If you need to type notes or look something up, you can use a smart speaker or get up and take a short, healthy walk back to your desk, which helps furniture businesses sell more chairs while helping people read better.
Environmental Design and Visual Attention
Visual stimuli, such as a glowing computer monitor, automatically capture human attention and disrupt cognitive focus during reading tasks (Chun et al., 2011). By physically reorienting the seating position 180 degrees away from the screen, individuals remove salient visual distractions from their primary field of view (Lang, 2000). This spatial separation supports sustained attention and deeper cognitive processing of physical texts (Sweller, 2011). Furthermore, introducing a short walk to access digital tools integrates brief physical activity into the workflow, which has been shown to refresh cognitive control and improve overall focus (Oppezzo & Schwartz, 2014).
Practical Action Steps
- Rearrange Your Space: Position a dedicated reading armchair directly behind your computer monitor, facing the opposite wall, to block the screen from your line of sight.
- Incorporate Movement: When you need to use your computer for notes, view the short walk from your reading chair to your desk as a healthy micro-break to boost circulation.
- Utilize Voice Assistants: Use smart speakers or voice-to-text apps while seated in your reading chair to log quick definitions or thoughts without breaking your physical posture.
Date
Monday, June 1, 2026, 2:32 PM AEST
Authors
Jianfa Tsai (https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1809-1686) in collaboration with Gemini AI Pro.
References
Chun, M. M., Golomb, J. D., & Turk-Browne, N. B. (2011). A taxonomy of external and internal attention. Annual Review of Psychology, 62(1), 73–101. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.090908.155222
Lang, A. (2000). The limited capacity model of mediated message processing. Journal of Communication, 50(1), 46–70. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02833.x
Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40(4), 1142–1152. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036577
Sweller, J. (2011). Cognitive load theory. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 55, 37–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-387690-4.00002-8