Has the internet ruined our attention spans?

Thanks to the internet’s constant stream of information, endless notifications, and explosion of rapid-fire, short-form content, are we losing our capacity for sustained focus and deep concentration?

It seems like a lot of people think so, blaming their short-form video watching habits for their own attention declines. A quick search online will show countless people claiming they can no longer focus properly on anything – which doesn’t sound great.

I sat down with Dr. Patrick Clarke, a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor at Curtin University, to help us get a better perspective on what attention is, its different types, how they’re being affected by the digital world, and whether there’s any evidence that our attention spans are being affected by the internet.

Check out the episode here.

In this episode, we discuss:

00:00 Introduction to Attention and Digital Devices

02:48 Understanding Types of Attention

09:20 Attention Span in the Digital Age

11:00 Research Findings on Attention Over Time

13:10 The Impact of Interest on Focus

15:13 Switching Tasks and Focus

17:44 Brain Plasticity and Adaptation

21:40 Social Media and Short-Form Content

23:27 Cognitive Engagement and Anxiety Levels

24:12 The Impact of Short-Form Content

27:07 Social Media's Influence on Mental Health

30:46 Digital Interactions vs. Real-Life Relationships

32:38 Strategies for Improving Focus

38:38 Reassessing Attention Span Concerns

Enjoy the show,

Gareth