Science Weekly Summer picks: Where did our attention spans go, and can we get them back?
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Jul 29, 2025 
Gloria Mark, a Professor of Informatics at UC Irvine and author of 'Attention Span', explores the modern crisis of dwindling attention spans. She reveals that our ability to focus has plummeted from two and a half minutes to just 47 seconds. Mark highlights how technology cultivates distractions and suggests actionable strategies to reclaim focus. She discusses the importance of taking breaks for mental rejuvenation and offers insightful tips on maximizing concentration in our fast-paced, digital world.
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Early Stopwatch Study
- Gloria Mark started studying attention spans by timing office workers switching tasks with stopwatches.
- This method was labor intensive but led to automated software for logging screen changes later.
Attention Span Drop Revealed
- Average attention span on screens dropped dramatically from 2.5 minutes in 2003 to 47 seconds pre-pandemic.
- This decline reflects increased distractions and changing work environments.
Tech Drives Attention Fragmentation
- Technology changes like smartphones and social media are major distractors increasing task switching.
- Social media's algorithms target social impulses, making distractions hard to resist.
