In 2004, the average attention span on a digital device was roughly 150 seconds. By 2024, it reached a staggering low of 47 seconds , mirroring the average length of a social media video.
Interestingly, as we struggle with "doomscrolling," modern technology is also being used to "unscroll" the past. The Decline of Attention Span in the Digital Era
The Modern Scroll: How We Went from Papyrus to Pixels (and Why It’s Changing Our Brains)
Constant scrolling drains "executive function"—the part of the mind responsible for decision-making and filtering distractions. This leads to "temporal blindness," where users lose all track of time because the interface lacks natural breaking points like chapters or page numbers.
In 2004, the average attention span on a digital device was roughly 150 seconds. By 2024, it reached a staggering low of 47 seconds , mirroring the average length of a social media video.
Interestingly, as we struggle with "doomscrolling," modern technology is also being used to "unscroll" the past. The Decline of Attention Span in the Digital Era
The Modern Scroll: How We Went from Papyrus to Pixels (and Why It’s Changing Our Brains)
Constant scrolling drains "executive function"—the part of the mind responsible for decision-making and filtering distractions. This leads to "temporal blindness," where users lose all track of time because the interface lacks natural breaking points like chapters or page numbers.