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If you’re like most people, you might have noticed that your attention span is getting shorter. As a result, you might have trouble focusing on long-form content the way you once did. Or you might have a desire to multitask anytime you turn on the TV or open your phone.
According to experts, there’s a good reason for that. We’re being trained by a constant barrage of updates, alerts and messages from our phones to drop whatever we’re doing and check out what’s happening on social media. And we’re learning to view each new post, comment, or reaction on social media as a quick dopamine rush. Meanwhile, content is getting shorter and shorter in format, making it easier to consume. Two-minute YouTube videos are now 30-second TikTok clips.
Data on attention spans
This is more than just anecdotal evidence. Scientists have actually been studying attention spans, and the results are a bit worrisome. For example, back in 2003, the average attention span was calculated to be 2 ½ minutes. By 2023, that figure had shrunk to just 47 seconds.
Of course, there are some exceptions. We’ve all seen teenagers focus on video games for hours at a time, seemingly without taking their eyes off their device a single time. And we’ve seen individuals locked into the endless scroll of a social media feed on their mobile phones for long periods of time, often oblivious to what’s happening around them.
The drawbacks of shorter attention spans
As experts now point out, there are several problems with shorter attention spans. One is that you are prone to make more errors. If you’ve ever multi-tasked for long periods of time, this should be obvious. If you don’t give something your 100% undivided attention, you’re bound to make mistakes.
Another downside is that it’s likely taking you longer periods of time to complete routine tasks. And that is definitely making you less productive. Every time you leave a task and then come back to it, there is often a brief period of “re-introduction,” in which you must figure out where you are in the task. This is all just a waste of time, I’m sorry to say.
How to fix your attention span
The good news is that there are several steps that you can take to fix your waning attention span. Some experts advise giving yourself small “rewards” any time you do not procrastinate. For example, if you’ve been assigned several chapters of a book to read for an upcoming school assignment, feel free to give yourself a small reward if you make it through the entire reading assignment without stopping once.
Another step you can take is to stop carrying around your mobile device with you wherever you go. This may help cure your need for a constant dopamine rush of updates, alerts, and messages. And that’s especially true when it’s time to go to bed. Whatever you do, make it a habit not to leave your beeping, purring mobile device next to you on the nightstand. You’ll just be tempted to open up the phone at all hours of the night.
The first step in solving a problem is recognizing that you have a problem. So if you’ve been having trouble focusing lately, realize what could be at the core of the problem: too much time on social media. If you want to become more productive and do more, then now is the time to cut back on your usage of social media.
