Bill Gates: Had I grown up with smartphones, I may have lost the trait that made me a billionaire.

Bill Gates believes that if he had grown up like today's kids, constantly distracted by smartphones and social media, he may not have become a billionaire.

Gates, the co-founder and ex-CEO of Microsoft, might never have built the tech giant, valued at $3.26 trillion, as of Wednesday afternoon, without the time he spent growing up roaming around with friends, exploring the outside world, and reading and thinking deeply in his room for hours at a time, according to a blog post he wrote on Tuesday.

"Gates describes how he would retreat to his room when feeling restless, bored, or in trouble, and lose himself in books and ideas for hours without interruption. This habit of using idle time for deep thinking and learning has shaped who he is."

Later on, my success was also crucial.

In his blog post, Gates advised reading "The Anxious Generation," a book by New York University social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, which examines how smartphones and social media have altered children's brain wiring.

The book contends that the use of technology has contributed to a mental health crisis among young people, characterized by increasing feelings of loneliness and depression. Studies indicate that excessive use of smartphones and social media can impair young people's memory, focus, and attention span.

Haidt's book argues that Gates' "play-based childhood," which fosters creative thinking, is superior to the "phone-based childhood" many kids experience today.

Gates wrote that our attention spans are like muscles, and the constant interruptions and addictive nature of social media make it challenging for them to develop.

Committing to 'uninterrupted concentration'

Gates has often attributed his career success to his reading habit and ability to isolate himself.

In the 1990s, the CEO of Microsoft would spend his annual "Think Week" in an isolated cabin in the wilderness, with only a bag of books and technical papers. During these periods, he was fully committed to uninterrupted concentration, and he wouldn't even check his email. He used this time to read, think, and write about the future without any distractions.

In 2019, Laura Stack, a productivity expert, shared her smart idea with CNBC Make It.

To concentrate on higher-order activities, we need to create an environment that minimizes interruptions from coworkers, spouses, children, pets, and technology, as Stack pointed out.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Gates' weeks of intense focus helped spur big ideas, including Microsoft's development of the Internet Explorer browser. However, the billionaire now believes that the technologies Gates and Microsoft helped popularize may be preventing the deep thinking needed to spur similar innovations.

Gates stated that if individuals cannot concentrate intensely and pursue an idea to its conclusion, the world may miss out on groundbreaking discoveries that result from putting one's mind to a task and maintaining focus, even when a momentary distraction provides a dopamine rush.

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