A study from Microsoft involving more than 2,000 people has found that the average attention span has dipped to a low 8 seconds – down from 12 seconds in 2000. A goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds.
There are many effects from smartphones and the like on the human body which are never written about. Information technology (IT) is much more powerful in unrecognized ways than is generally acknowledged.
Because these various IT devices are often very close to a person’s body, they can and do have profound effects on thehuman bioelectric field. The key factor in this ever-intensifying dynamic between human and technology is the length of time of daily interaction.
In other words, picking up a cellphone to make a couple of calls a day is one thing; being tied to your smartphone 24 hour a day, 7 days a week is something altogether different. Herein lies one of the key causes of the shrinking attention span. Additionally, constant exposure to cell phones near our heads may be dangerous.
Attention span is connected directly to the presence of mind necessary to sincerely engage in person-to-person interaction. How often do the younger generations eschew the focus of personal interaction for the sake of not missing the internet happening of the day? Things are now moving so quickly that many within the younger generations do not want to miss out on anything.
Consequently, their attention spans are being shortened to accommodate that next “BIG” event which can only be experienced on the internet or by way of the smartphone.