Attention span: The new scourge affecting productivity “

Will you be able to focus and read this article till the end?

In 2000, the average human attention span was 12 seconds. Which isn’t that high when we know a goldfish as an attention span of 9 seconds.

Conifer Park, delve into the topic of the human attention span and provided interesting statistics that led me to reflect on how the decrease of our concentration is affecting our daily work life.

To start, what is the definition of attention span? 

Cambridge dictionary defines it as the period during which you can stay interested or listen carefully to something.  The attention span is directly related to the time we can concentrate and focus on a particular activity.

So, how does this impact our workload and efficiency?

Taking into account that:

🔸29% of people can’t help themselves but checking their phone every 30 seconds.

🔸3 hours and 15 minutes is the average time we spend on our phone per day

🔸60% of the people check their phone every 10 minutes

Those figures show the tendency of not being able to remain focus on a task or activity.

The above doesn’t even include the other abundant distractions we have at work such as Teams, slacks, emails and other interconnected applications. Do you know how many times an office worker is checking their inbox every hour? Up to 30 times!

Being constantly solicited as a direct impact on our memory leading to forgetting details and events. Being unable to concentrate and dive deeper in the task resuming to poor work and academic performance. Another impact not to neglect is the effect on cognitive abilities.

Is it because our brain is tired of constant incitement and overload coming information that it decides to shut down?

What factors contribute in altering our attention span?

🔸Constant notifications, alerts and distractions

🔸Switching between tasks leading to a fragmented focus

🔸Short-term content leading to quick scrolling and reducing engagement

🔸Stream of updates and never-ending content: cycle of distraction

The digitalization of our lives since 2000 is highly contributing to the change of habits and led us to an interconnected era. Most people have now their phone with them 24/7. The level of distraction increased significantly exposing us to a continuous flow of information and stimuli participating in the fragmentation the attention.  Unconsciously we’re drawn toward the last notification popping up on the screen, leading us to stop what we’re doing over and over again.

 How to support our metabolism to focus:

🔸Reduce notification

🔸Set boundaries with the phone usage

🔸Technology free space

🔸Digital detox

🔸Engage

How can we improve our level of concentration?

Develop habits!

Each time you are about to check your phone, say no and don’t do it. keep going with your task. The more educated the brain becomes, the less inclined it will pursue the idea.

Did you develop the fear of missing out. Instant gratification, waiting for something that never comes. Why do we want to check our phone even if we didn’t receive a call or message?

Perhaps the constant unimportant notification we receive are formatting us in wanting to check what it is. We then stopped making the difference between urgent and important.

Use techniques to increase concentration

🔸Task prioritization

🔸Mindfulness and meditation

🔸Single-tasting

🔸Minimize distractions

🔸Pomodoro

🔸Set clear goals

Conclusion:

While research shows a decrease of concentration, it is important to balance this idea. Concentration varies depending on the task and external stimuli. Engaging in conversation or activities we find interesting doesn’t have the same impact.

Another interested point, researchers found out that only 5.9% of teenager with ADHD were naturally born with the disorder, while 81% developed it due to the excessive use of technology. “The earlier children are immersed in digital media and technologies offering instant gratification, the higher the likelihood that an attention=deficit disorder will emerge as they grow.” More information to be found in the Oxjournal.

For those who started working before 2015, how did your behavior evolve?

Cécile Lammer,
Ceicia’s founder