The image above of a man missing out the giant whale because he’s glued to his smartphone is a perfect example that some humans prefer tapping and watching on their screens than just enjoying the real thing. Of course, there could be plenty of explanation for this. Maybe he got an emergency call or an important email he really needs to reply to. But still, this image is very ironic and I think it will only get worse as technology progresses.
While we are thankful for inventions, innovations, and the advent of technology, the attention span of humans have been affected. The average attention span of humans have shortened in this age of smartphones and mobile devices. A study where 2,000 participants were surveyed and studied in Canada, yielded that average human attention span has fallen to eight seconds. Brain activity of 112 participants where also studied using electroencephalograms. From 12 seconds in 2000, attention span is now eight seconds. That’s shorter than the gold fish who can hold a thought for nine seconds.
So is a goldfish smarter than you? No, not really. Times have changed because everything is about speed right now. People like things to be done instantly because there really is no reason to be slow. Software giant Microsoft did the study to find out if human attention span has changed over the years. It did shorten but ability to multitask has improved.
Microsoft’s study read:
“Canadians [who were tested] with more digital lifestyles (those who consume more media, are multi-screeners, social media enthusiasts, or earlier adopters of technology) struggle to focus in environments where prolonged attention is needed.”
Humans seem to be better in indentifying the things they want to be involved in. There is less need to process and memorize these days because information can be obtained almost instantly with a simple tap or search.
Microsoft’s study was actually a follow up to a previous study did by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information and the National Library of Medicine in the US. The study discovered that about 79% of the people surveyed “dual screen” by watching TV and using portable devices at the same time.
VIA: The Telegraph
