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6 simple science-backed ways to boost your attention span

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6 simple science-backed ways to boost your attention span

Primed for constant interruptions, your brain is now distracting itself, says science. It’s time to break the cycle and retrain your focus

Science Focus,

5 min read
7 take-aways
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What's inside?

Zero in on your goals with some eclectic tips from science writer Sophie Freeman.

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7

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Do you feel like your attention span is slipping through your fingers? Are you tired of trite self-help advice — turn off social media notifications, lock your cellphone in a drawer, get more sleep — for increasing focus? Science writer Sophie Freeman has delved into the most recent scientific literature on focus and amalgamated a list of offbeat tips you can try to sharpen your focus and attention. If mindfulness and journaling aren’t helping you home in on your goals, try Freeman’s unconventional suggestions for size. 

Summary

Human attention spans are decreasing as screens, smartphones, and social media become more ingrained in daily life.

According to research by Gloria Mark of the University of California, Irvine, published in 2023, the average human attention span is a mere 47 seconds, down from 2.5 minutes in 2004, before the launch of smartphones. A study by the Centre for Attention Studies at King’s College London found that almost 50% of people have a gnawing feeling that their attention span is dwindling. You can try a range of ways to rein in your attention, such as turning off your smartphone notifications or wearing noise-canceling headphones. However, the internal urge to check emails (77 times a day on average, according to one study) and social media (as many as 237 times a day for some) is constant. People have become so accustomed to interruptions that they reflexively disrupt an activity to go online. Knowing that a world of information resides at your fingertips heightens the temptation to connect to the online world. 

Is there an unexpected upside to a shortened attention span, such as a heightened ability to multitask? Alas...

About the Author

Sophie Freeman is a freelance journalist who writes about science, psychology and human behavior.


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