Goldfish Now Have Better Attention Spans Than We Do

Last week, Microsoft released a study that sought to analyze the impact that technology – cellphones and social media specifically – is having on our attention span and the quality of our focus. They found some pretty significant changes compared with research conducted 15 years ago. Let's take a look at the findings.

1. The average attention span has fallen to just eight seconds. 

The average human attention span in 2000 was 12 seconds, and now it's just eight. The decrease was found across genders and all age groups. Apparently, a goldfish has an attention span of nine seconds. Measuring the attention span of animals is sort of tricky stuff though … so it's possible we still have them beat.

2. Young people were most likely to demonstrate addiction-like behaviors when it came to digital technology.

Seventy-seven percent of 18- to 24-year-olds responded "yes" when asked if the following statement was true for them: "When nothing is occupying my attention, the first thing I do is reach for my phone." Only 10 percent of people over 65 said the same thing.

3. Young people may be more alert, just for shorter increments of time.

The good news is that these young people, "early adopters of technology," as the study sometimes refers to them, have developed some strengths to accommodate for their shorter attention spans.

4. The ability to multitask has improved. 

Part of the explanation for the shortened attention span comes from what the study refers to as "multi-screening" – viewing multiple screens at once, using social media while consuming the latest news, etc. As long as the environment is active, early tech adopters are able to process information and commit it to memory more efficiently. But, their capabilities fall short if the digital experience is passive – probably due to their decreased ability to focus for long periods of time.