The great attention crisis
Summary
Modern technology and social media platforms are reshaping human attention spans by encouraging fragmented focus and addiction through variable rewards, but attention can be retrained through mindfulness and intentional practices.
Key Points
- Social media platforms compete for human attention using addictive, variable rewards that trigger dopamine release.
- Average human attention span has dropped significantly in recent years, leading to reduced focus and productivity.
- Continuous fragmentation of attention harms memory, creativity, and emotional stability.
- Attention can be rebuilt through mindfulness, single-tasking, dopamine detox, and intentional boundary-setting with digital devices.
