Episode 17: Your shrinking attention span

Nov 14, 2023

Exploring the negative effects of technology on our attention spans. Discussing the impact of smartphones on focus and flow state. Sharing experiences, promoting a magazine, and discussing architecture. Exploring the false dichotomy of modernist and traditionalist architecture. Delving into the impact of distractions and technology on attention. Discussing addiction, habits, and mindful usage of technology.

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ANECDOTE

The Graceland Anecdote

Johann Hari's book "Stolen Focus" opens with a story about his godson's screen addiction.
At Graceland, the godson is more captivated by his iPad than the actual jungle room.

INSIGHT

Brainpower Loss Claim

Johann Hari claims smartphones cause a 20-30% brainpower loss, citing a small, unpublished study.
The study's methodology is flawed, involving only 136 students and artificial conditions.

INSIGHT

Goldfish Attention Span Myth

The claim about attention spans dropping to less than a goldfish's is a myth.
Microsoft's study lacked scientific rigor, and the statistic's origin is unknown.

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The thesis of Johann Hari’s bestselling 2022 book Stolen Focus is that tech companies—via the internet, smartphones, and social media—are wrecking our attention spans. Hari argues that Facebook, Apple, and all the rest, in their deliberate attack on our ability to concentrate, are doing huge damage to the human species.

In this episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart (whose microphone sounds a bit odd this week - sorry about that!) discuss the data on whether people’s attention spans are getting shorter, ask whether there’s evidence people are too distracted to finish tasks—such as writing podcast descriptions—that they’ve started, and

The Studies Show is sponsored by Works in Progress, the online magazine about science, technology, and human progress. Find all their deeply-researched, beautifully-written essays about ideas that have changed, and will change, the world right here at this link.

The Studies Show is also supported by the i, a snappy, non-partisan UK newspaper for people with open minds. You can get a money-off deal on your digital subscription—which includes full access to all Stuart’s science writing—by following this special podcast link.

Show notes

* Pre-order Pete Etchells’s book Unlocked: The Real Science of Screen Time (and how to spend it better)

* Johann Hari’s 2022 Guardian article on attention spans

* Stuart’s review of Stolen Focus, including some background on Hari’s “interesting” journalistic career

* “You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish”, apparently

* Just watch this video. No spoilers.

* The lizardman’s constant is 4%

* 2009 PNAS study on multitasking

* 2021 Cyberpsychology meta-analysis on cognitive control and multitasking

* 50% of people think tech is ruining people’s attention spans

* Satirical study from 2020 on the addiction to “spending time with friends”

* One of Matthew Sweet’s Twitter investigations of Johann Hari’s references

* Stuart’s look at some of the other studies cited in the book

Credits

The Studies Show is produced by Julian Mayers at Yada Yada Productions.

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