Attention!

3/10/2022

A study done by Microsoft claims that average attention spans have dropped from around twelve seconds down to eight. Over time, I have noticed that my own attention span has gone downhill. Unless I find something that interests me, then I have a difficult time staying engaged in the subject. Modern society today has a large amount of entertainment and commotion, making it hard to focus on one thing at a time. Great examples of this are TikToks or Reels on Instagram having very short duration and still, the one minute videos take too long. I wonder how this form of entertainment will affect younger audiences; Will they have even shorter attention spans than us? How have you seen your own attention spans change over time? Do you think forms of entertainment such as TikTok affect our attention spans? Are shorter attention spans a bad or good thing? Did you have enough of an attention span to read this whole prompt, or did you just go straight to the questions at the end? I certainly would have done so.

38 Comments

Micah Tolman

3/10/2022 10:14:07 pm

Yes, I read the entirety of this prompt. I can’t imagine how shorter attention spans could be healthy. I believe Instagram reels don’t provide enough satisfaction, otherwise we would endure longer ones. The noise about attention spans seems to correspond with rises in mental health, especially ADHD. It is quite sad to see humans losing their ability to focus. Media is overused by too many people.

Dakota James

3/13/2022 01:37:17 pm

I think you make a good point about noise having to do with attention spans. Most short videos are synced with some catchy section of a song that many people know, which helps them watch the whole video while they listen. I also agree that shorter attention spans are likely not healthy. How could a long attention span be damaging?

Hailey

3/13/2022 03:03:47 pm

You make a great point concerning mental health issues such as ADHD. Growing up in a generation surrounded by technology, we have gotten used to having something to do 24/7, even if that “something” is simply watching videos on social media platforms. I think this has affected the imagination of children severely. In previous generations, children often had to be creative when thinking of activities to participate in since technological devices did not exist. Nowadays, children are very susceptible to laziness, as modern developments have catered to making everything “easier.”

Ele

3/13/2022 07:17:37 pm

I also read the entire prompt hehe! I agree that social media is becoming more and more overused. Who knows how it will be within the next 10 years…

Jonah

3/10/2022 10:15:37 pm

I don't think that my attention span has really gone downhill at all. I choose not to participate in the watching of TikToks or Reels as much as I can, and read a lot, which helps my attention span. But, many people are not like me. They spend large amounts of their free time looking at such videos, and I can definitely tell that others’ attention spans have been lessening. This can be dangerous, say if they think they can drive themselves for an extended amount of time in the dark, then lose focus and get in an accident. Driving is one of my favorite things to do, so I don't really think that I’d have this problem. But, I think that shortening attention spans were bound to happen. When we have so much information available to us, we have to be able to look through it faster. So I think there can be good and bad sides to this. Also, Erik, I did read the whole prompt.

Dakota James

3/13/2022 01:34:12 pm

I also enjoy driving and never find my attention to slip. My attention span is much longer for things that I enjoy, which is true for most people. Like you, I try to find other ways to spend my free time besides watching pointless videos. I am more worried for the younger generation who never experienced life before TikTok and Reels.

Lizzie Nelson

3/13/2022 01:54:18 pm

I think that you're right there can be good and bad sides to all of it. However, sometimes even when I'm driving if it is for a long period of time I simply need a break just to let my mind rest. But this is normal because it allows us to stay alert and conscious while driving. If our attention spans get worse this could cause some major problems.

Robyn Chaffin

3/13/2022 05:09:34 pm

Reading has definitely helped me. I have always enjoyed reading and the ability to sit for hours without getting distracted is very rare for teenagers.

Dakota James

3/13/2022 01:30:32 pm

I tend to agree that quick forms of entertainment have evolved our brains to wonder when we must wait for the plot to develop. I have noticed that TikTok especially, has decreased my attention span. I rarely watch movies anymore because they seem so long. Maybe this is why if you were asked to watch a 10 movie you would say no; but if that movie was split up into 20 episodes that are 30 minutes long, you would binge watch them all. I think this concept has been relevant long before TikTok, but I can see how it has worsened. On another note, maybe short attention spans leads us to think faster and multi-task. Also, I did read the whole prompt.

Lizzie Nelson

3/13/2022 01:52:06 pm

I do think that sometimes movies can be too long and that is why shows with episodes are nice. However, I like to enjoy something for a little bit of time and then have it end so it doesn't drag on for what seems like forever. Honestly, I think it really depends on if you are interested in what you're watching or listening too.

Robyn Chaffin

3/13/2022 03:40:09 pm

I’m kind of the opposite on the movie thing. I would much rather watch three 2 hour movies in a row rather than binge watching a series with eighteen 20 minute episodes. Personally movies make more sense because the plot will eventually come together in half an hour or so while it could take a series 4 episodes to get to the point.

Kendra

3/13/2022 04:00:43 pm

It is so funny the way our brains work regarding this subject. I feel as though I enjoy watching episodes of a show as well. I think this is partly because every time I finish an episode, starting the next one brings a while different part of the story. Instead of watching the same movie over and over and being able to remember every detail, a show gives more satisfaction and is more engaging.

Micah Tolman

3/13/2022 04:11:25 pm

In a conversation I heard recently, it was discussed how high paced movies such as those made by Marvel have impacted the way teenagers view movies, and has made them less willing to sit through long classics. It was also mentioned that adults often have a hard time watching the high intensity movies of our modern time. I admire your comment about spilling things up into episodes.

Carson Mildon

3/13/2022 06:16:41 pm

I had similar experiences with movies as you did. I began not enjoying watching movies, and I was not sure why but I just did not find them entertaining anymore. It was not until recently that I developed the theory that Tik Tok and other similar apps have destroyed the longer and less action-packed movie experience for me.

Lizzie Nelson

3/13/2022 01:49:29 pm

I actually did read the entire prompt. I think that are attention spans have most definitely gotten shorter. I would say that sometimes I struggle to pay attention to one thing for too long. I think that TikTok has changed how long we can watch media unless we are interested in what we are watching. With certain things my attention span is fine but sometimes especially when I'm tired it is hard for me to focus. I often will just stare off into space, when I'm bored or simply tired. I have noticed that more and more people seem to do this but I still think for the most part that we can focus if we want to.

Hailey

3/13/2022 03:00:42 pm

You make a good point regarding the choice we all have regarding what to place our attention toward. I have also found it difficult to focus at times, mostly because I have more interest in my phone than I do my schoolwork. However, I choose to get on my phone. I do not feel as though it is an uncontrollable habit. When needed, I can focus and am able to ignore my device for long periods of time.

Hailey

3/13/2022 02:58:07 pm

I have noticed a fairly significant difference in my attention span as I have aged; I attribute this to becoming more dependent upon my personal technological devices. Communication through social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok has become extremely popular, causing users to be very attentive to notifications received through their phones. I often find myself checking a notification on my phone immediately as it comes through, even if I am in class. My attention span for my phone seems to be long, however, my attention span for other things has lessened. However, I do not necessarily think this is an entirely bad thing. Phones can be used for many productive activities in school, and checking a notification or two is not in itself harmful to learning. Although, it will be interesting to see if attention spans continue to shorten as technology makes further advances. Perhaps future generations will need their attention to be devoted toward technology in order to maximize learning; devices may no longer be a distraction, but a core piece of education.

Robyn Chaffin

3/13/2022 03:35:11 pm

I’m going to be honest and say that I read the first couple of sentences then jumped to the questions. I did go back and read the whole thing. I have noticed shorter attention spans in people and myself. I would say that TikTok is not to blame for this. I don’t have TikTok and I know my attention span is short unless it is something interesting, but I have always zoned out so maybe it hasn’t changed as much as I think. Shorter attention spans could be just a lack of patience or even senioritis. I know that the longer I am in school the harder it gets. I do not think that having a short attention span is a good thing,

Kendra

3/13/2022 04:03:05 pm

I appreciate how you addressed that attention spans are partly because of our attitude. When something is interesting or desirable, people tend to pay more attention and want to listen in longer.

Micah Tolman

3/13/2022 04:48:50 pm

I think our society has trained us to be less attentive. We live in such a fast paced, production focused time. Everyone is rushing from one meeting to the next. It is evident in the 24 hour fast food places, and 7 day a week supermarkets. With so much convenience due to technology, it is difficult to face the “fear of missing out”, and sometimes we get convinced to spend time on things which don’t matter too much.

Carson Mildon

3/13/2022 06:13:13 pm

I often do the same thing where I read the first one or two sentences and then skip to the bottom to read the questions. However, after reading the first two sentences on this prompt, I thought it better that I read this one all the way through. It would have been quite ironic for me to skip reading this one.

Kendra

3/13/2022 03:56:14 pm

I did read the whole prompt and it made me laugh at the end. I like to think that I have a fairly good attention span, but I have seen it lessen as I have gotten older. When I was younger I loved to go to school and learn. I would listen intently and stay focused. I took pride in finishing all my homework before I even got home. Since the beginning of high school I could tell that my attention span was definitely changing. I kept putting off things and when I did do them I would have to take breaks in between. Like, if I work on homework for 10 minutes I can scroll through social media for 5. I had to continually keep myself entertained. I think is a negative thing and it has affected many the older they get.

Ele

3/13/2022 07:14:51 pm

Yeah literally lol! I have realized that it can be hard for me to sit down and watch a 2 1/2 hour long movie when I could be doing so many other things.

Janessa

3/13/2022 07:25:42 pm

I like your observation that these things affect people as they get older. It definitely has come from a place of habit to procrastinate things.

Carson Mildon

3/13/2022 06:10:25 pm

I believe apps like Tik Tok and Vine hold a lot of the blame for our generation's decreasing attention span. These apps are targeted at giving quick fixes of dopamine while watching these short videos. They take all of the waiting and boring stuff out of other videos, such as those on YouTube. While this has offered me a great way to entertain myself growing up, it has also affected me today in ways I would have never imagined. For example, I am most definitely a victim of a shorter attention span.

Janessa

3/13/2022 07:24:09 pm

With so many resources targeted to give “quick fixes of dopamine” like you said, it has become harder to commit to something longer lasting. People have always said that the most rewarding things take time to come, but is that true anymore when we can access rewards so quickly now?

Nathan

3/13/2022 08:00:58 pm

This is interesting. People are unable to stick with things long enough to see the reward because they give up because it is not the instant dopamine that they are used to.

Ele

3/13/2022 07:12:07 pm

Social media has been involved in many peoples lives recently. The major platform Tik Tok is one of the highest used apps in the world and it can be very addicting. I think back within the last couple weeks and I can only think of a couple days that I did not open the app. Sometimes I even turn on a movie on my T.V and some how I end up missing out on half of the movie because I was watching short videos on Instagram reels or Tik Tok. These short clips have the ability to keep you attentive while also giving you the control of videos you want to see. This can be very addicting. I believe the generations below us will have a lot more access to technology which can be good and bad. I have realized that many of the kids in 5th and 6th grade already have access to iPhones and have created social media accounts, it is crazy.

Nathan

3/13/2022 07:57:37 pm

Addiction do social media is a big problem. I see people that every time they have a moment of free time they instantly get on tik tok.

Adyson

3/14/2022 07:12:14 am

There is no doubt that social media is probably one of the biggest impacts we have on our youth, sadly I feel that as we get older those impacts are becoming increasingly more negative.

Janessa

3/13/2022 07:17:17 pm

The ending of this prompt was pretty clever. I did, however, read the entire thing. Thinking about my own attention span led me to think about how I see other people my age interacting with each other. For example, I notice at school that any chance we have any down time, kids will quickly pull up some social media, even if their only on it for a couple of minutes. While they do this, they either have half-hearted conversations with the other people around them or forgo interaction all together. I’ve also noticed this happening at the musical backstage, and even in my own friend group as we hang out. I think the repetition of pulling out their phones has definitely decreased their attention span. With younger kids who are much more impressionable, I would hope that this trend doesn’t overtake their lives, though it very well might. It would be sad to see a child rather stay inside during recess to scroll through TikTok than go outside on the swings.

Jonah

3/13/2022 07:38:35 pm

That’s interesting, I have noticed the same things. I try not to pull out my phone, but when everyone is doing it and not really invested when i try and talk to them, i don’t know what else to do. I hope younger kids growing up still find a way to be active and actually use their bodies that they were given.

Beth

3/14/2022 12:31:25 am

I have also noticed the trend backstage and have recently made a greater effort to read more, seeing that my peers and I spend way too much time on our devices.

Nathan

3/13/2022 07:55:30 pm

I can tell that since I have got a phone and social media, I have seen my attention span decreased by a large margin. I am no longer able to read a book for longer than an hour until I fall asleep. I even find my self skipping through YouTube videos that are like 10 minutes because I get bored of them. I am worried about the future generations they will be even more connected to technology. If attention span’s continue to decrease will school even be effective in its current system or will they have to alter it to the general decrease in attention span.

Beth

3/14/2022 12:29:38 am

I feel the same way. My attention span has decreased since getting a cell phone and I worry for future generations.

Beth

3/14/2022 12:28:38 am

I think this is a very interesting subject. I definitely think that social media and electronic entertainment has a role in our attention spans. I notice personally that when I am spending more time on my phone and not reading or doing other productive activities that my attention span rapidly decreases. Often I cannot even sit through a movie. But when I am reading and spending time in the real world, my attention span significantly increases.

Adyson

3/14/2022 07:10:28 am

I feel the same way sometimes. I find that in my own house my attention span is completely different than in the real world.

Adyson

3/14/2022 07:09:38 am

Honestly I would say that I have a different attention span for everything I do. I thought it was an interesting point that you brought up about how upcoming generations may have a shorter attention span due to social media and apps such as tiktok. My thoughts on this are it may actually be a good thing in some ways since it could help them develop what they do and don’t like much faster.

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