194. Are our attention spans getting shorter?

Why do certain things stop us in our tracks? A beautiful sunset, a painting, even the way light shines through the window in the morning. Where does this sense of beauty actually come from? Does it exist objectively in the world, or is it something our brains create? In this epis ...  عرض المزيد

In a culture increasingly organised around productivity and individual choice, many of our repeated behaviours have become about efficiency rather than meaning. In this episode, we explore why even very small rituals - a meal, a walk, a song, a candle - can give shape and signifi ...  عرض المزيد

If you have trouble focusing on books, work, or even TV shows, you’re not alone. The fact is our attention spans are getting shorter. And it can feel like our ability to perform and be productive is harder. But is a shorter attention span actually impacting our brain function and ...  عرض المزيد

These days, most of us live our lives tethered to our computers and smartphones, which are unending sources of distraction. Research has shown that over the past couple of decades people’s attention spans have shrunk in measurable ways. Gloria Mark, PhD, of the University of Cali ...  عرض المزيد

According to psychologist Gloria Mark, the average attention span is just 47 seconds. Mark, a two-decade veteran in researching attention, says our ability to focus is declining at an alarming rate and is impacting our health. Much of this increase is due to our modern, fast-pace ...  عرض المزيد