Oftentimes I find myself scrolling on my phone for hours without realizing it, or sitting down to do homework with the urge to check notifications or look at a screen every five minutes.
When those tendencies worsen, I like to take a break from certain apps, deleting them for a few weeks to reset and focus on other things. At first, I think about it intermittently, wondering what I’m missing out on or wishing I could share a funny thought online, but after a week it’s the last thing on my mind. Those hours that used to be for scrolling are divided into productivity or phone calls to connect to loved ones.
The constant digital overload of information leads to a need to be up-to-date with trends and social statuses. There are numerous studies on the effects of blue-light and the addictiveness of social media. When factoring in the instant gratification of short-lived data, people are conditioned to only need attention for fleeting moments before moving on to the next topic. However, there are steps one can take to improve their attention span without a self-diagnosis of ADHD.
Many studies have looked at the attention spans of adults to show an average result of 10-15 minutes of attention for a speech or lecture. A study in 2015 from Microsoft Corp. revealed people have an attention span of eight seconds, lower than a goldfish, with an attention span of nine seconds. The National Library of Medicine also found a correlation between high screen time and low brain development in children.
Considering the addictive features of social media with our society’s dependence on it, lowering one’s screen time is harder than ever. Social media platforms cause surges in dopamine levels in the brain from things like comments or likes. This activates the brain’s reward center to show effects similar to gambling and drugs. It’s impossible to remove screen use completely from our lives, but with this in mind, the practice of moderation weighs heavily on mental health.
Through a fleet of YouTube videos, I've recently developed a fascination with the long term effects of mediation. Meditation is said to increase one’s attention span and ability to focus. To meditate, one sits somewhere comfortable and quiet, closes their eyes and slowly breathes through their nose for a period of time.
The point is to completely clear the mind of any thoughts to rest and reset. The only focus should be on breathing and feeling air fill the lungs. Even five minutes of this is difficult after taking in immoderate loads of information all day, but with practice, one can clear their mind for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. I started to meditate every day and found my ability to focus when studying or listening to lectures in class became significantly easier.
The common knowledge of blue light produced from cell phones is the disruption of brain activity. Blue light disrupts one’s circadian rhythm and melatonin production to inhibit sleep quality. This cognitive interference should be taken into higher consideration in regard to its negative effects on attention span without quality sleep. One way to counteract this is by putting away devices 30 minutes to an hour before bed, or strengthening habits like reading before sleep.
Reading and journaling are forms of meditation to calm the mind and wear out leftover mental energy that sits unused when trying to shut down for sleep. Sleep is necessary for both learning and memory. The National Institute of Health reported adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night, and without those hours, one’s ability to focus is slim to none. This makes the instant gratification of content from social media even more desirable.
Taking a break from social media altogether is also an option. Many people set a maximum screen time on their phone to limit their use. To replace that time normally spent mindlessly scrolling, practice hobbies with similar passive entertainment like reading, journaling, baking or creating something artistic.
Calm, a wellness brand, claims other ways to improve attention span are giving yourself breaks, organizing your time by writing things down in a planner, playing classical music, creating small, attainable goals to stay motivated and focusing on one task at a time instead of multitasking.
Shifting away from dependency on phones is difficult when they are an important tool in daily life. However, without active practice in separation to improve attention away from the screen, the iPad kids of the world will become iPad adults, and no one wants to see that. What seems hard at first gets easier, then enjoyed, and eventually it’s the new normal.
Libby Evans is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Libby know by emailing her at le422021@ohio.edu.
