If you are wondering about your shorter attention span, do not fret, you are not alone. Surprisingly, the average attention span of a human being is less than that of a goldfish. Human attention span has been decreased over the years. According to Human Attention Span Statistics and Facts 2024, the average human attention span was twelve seconds in 2000 but now it is only 8.25 seconds, whereas it is 9 seconds for a goldfish. This is — surely — an alarming situation for any nation. A shorter attention span leads to various negative impacts including a reduction in productivity and the ability of human beings to work efficiently and effectively, leading to concerns.
In this context one of the most vulnerable groups is children. The attention span of children has also decreased over the years, along with some other groups. According to a study, children had an average attention span of 29.61 seconds, experiencing an attention span decline of -27.41 percent as time went by the Continuous Performance Test. Furthermore, teenagers who spend over 2 hours daily on their screens receive lower test scores. Among others, a survey conducted among Primary school teachers in London reported that children’s attention span was shorter than ever. It is pertinently notable that genetic factors, neurological conditions, traumatic experiences and other causes including the use of social media affect the attention span of children.
Social media notably contributes to the extensive stunting of the attention spans of children. Dr. Michael Manos — a pediatric psychologist in America — says scrolling for hours on social media can hurt children’s attention span. Children are now spending more time on social media than ever in different countries. During COVID-19, many schools hand out smartphones to students under the guise of online classes. Since then, schools also created groups with students to send notices. Students also created many groups among themselves and are using various social media platforms randomly. Nowadays, it is an ever-evolving digital platform that ushers people engaged in massive online communities all over the world.
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, have emerged with unique features. In this platform, the prevalence of bite-sized content of videos, reels and fleeting stories encourages the brevity and instant gratification of the children. These quick and easily digestible contents prevailing in social media have programmed human brains to crave instant stimulation. The endless scrolling system of these platforms keeps users engaged as long as possible with addictive features like an infinite news feed; auto-play videos; and a bombardment of information. Thus, children cannot go without succumbing to the allure of getting lost in the scrolling abyss of social media. The fear of missing out on exciting events drives children to check their social media feeds.
Children often multitask such as doing homework, checking messages, or taking social media breaks at a time; as such, children spend much more time on the task than usual. Experts say multitasking taxes the human brain, makes it more distractible and is prone to errors. It also hurts productivity. The National Library of Medicine reported that media multitasking has been linked to worse attentional control, greater distractibility, or attention lapses. Screens contribute to loss of focus as they overstimulate the mind. Dr Roberto Olivardia, says that the brain is getting such a high reward, leading to the craving for more instant gratification. Once, something comes across that we like, we return to the screens that bring us higher enjoyment.
Pessimistically saying, the implications of the decreased attention span of children are far-reaching both for themselves and society, leading to concerns. Different studies show that the immediate implications of shorter attention span are that children face difficulty focusing on tasks, make mistakes in their home homework frequently, encounter difficulties in reading long content or texts, get bored with activities quickly and complete tasks partially, face challenges concentrating during social interactions and difficulty communicating with others, face difficulties in managing time, face challenges in organizing materials and are late or get forgotten appointments. These impacts — the stunting of the way of the learning process of children — have extensive implications for any nation too.
Children have the power to change the world. Children of today are the leaders of tomorrow and they will be the ones responsible for shaping society and leading the way towards progress. Childhood is the brighter time when they get ready for the future. In a speech, Symore Simon, a children’s book writer in America, said that knowledge empowers people with our most powerful tools: the ability to think and decide. Children bring new perspectives and ideas that can lead to positive changes in societal norms and values in different countries. Consequently, their sound development is crucial not only for them but also for the thriving and sustainable future of nations.
Given the importance, children’s attention spans need to be improved. For this, it is crucial for parents and educators to recognize the factors that can affect attention spans in children and provide appropriate support and interventions when needed. But awareness needs to be raised about it. The emphasis needs to be given to several aspects including the harmful impacts of the excessive use of social media, limiting the screen time use of children, children’s maintaining their natural sleep cycle, exercise and regular screen breaks, listening mindfully to music and spending time with nature. The role of the mainstream media can be very effective in raising awareness.
It is also crucial to involve children in activities that need full attention and focus such as reading books, engaging in hobbies, engaging in outdoor play including hiking, biking and swimming and engaging in social activities, since these activities, which require children’s constant focus, can help strengthen their attention span — very effectively. But, for this, various outdoor facilities including parks and playgrounds need to be provided in urban areas.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Magazine and its editorial team. Views published are the sole responsibility of the author(s).
