The digital era isn’t a quiet one. We’re flooded with notifications and messages, bombarded with information, and generally expected to be on call at all times. As a result, we’re drinking more information than ever, but… well, what happened to our attention spans?
When we’re constantly distracted by a swarm of new information – some important, some not – we tend to multitask. It’s certainly a skill that many applaud in the digital era, praising multi-taskers for their godlike ability to “get shit done” without breaking into a sweat.
But the flipside is that our attention spans have discreased. With all this multitasking and trying to keep up with the latest, time feels short. Multitasking is the best way to handle this overload, but at the price of not being able to just stop and focus. Without that focus, it’s time to be honest in answering a simple question:
“Are we really getting information, or is it just superficial news that we soon forget?”
Without attention, we don’t peer into the details of the information we have. Without peering into the details, we can’t truly understand and retain the information we have. When we’re juggling around a few tasks, we’re simply going through the motions without understanding – and by the time we’ve moved onto the next set of tasks, much of what we just learned has gone.
So what’s the solution? That’s a tricky one, but many experts are now saying mindfulness is the key. You can still multitask, but dialling it back and focusing on what you’re actually doing, why you’re doing it, and digging a little deeper won’t just help your attention span – it’ll also boost your memory and quality of life.
So quit the frantic multi-tasking and relax a little to give something your full attention every once in a while!