Our Shrinking Attention Span
Is Technology Changing the Way We Focus?
May 15, 2023
An astonishing fact is that humans have shorter attention spans than goldfish! Research shows that our attention span is about an average of 8.25 seconds. Recent studies show that one of the main reasons why our attention span shortens is a result of social media use. The average human attention span has .decreased about 25% from 2000 to 2015. Social media affects each and every one of us whether you know it or not. It can affect you if you are messaging, calling, or watching social media.
What does our attention span even mean? You may think our attention span is the time that someone is reading an article, magazine or a paper, but it is not. Our attention span is the time that our brain can mentally focus . All of the information that we see, “overrides” our brain and we can not handle all of the info. Attention spans can range from over 2 seconds to 20 minutes not depending on how much information you receive but depending on your age.
This affects many students and teachers all over the world. Melani. Moran, a middle school teacher said “Students are victims of social media in how it drastically shortens their attention span in general, but particularly impacts their ability to concentrate on reading. ”
You can improve your attention span by sometimes picking up a book instead of going onto your phone.
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