In 2004, people’s attention span was two and a half minutes. Nowadays, it has decreased to 47 seconds. According to TikTok creators, most users scroll past videos seven seconds in, because the video is “too long.”  This made me wonder about the impact technology has had on humans, and the amount of time we spend using our devices. Immediately, after waking up we use our phones while at school, we use our computers.

What is the longest you’ve gone without using technology, aside from when it was taken away from you? 

Technology has evolved immensely throughout the years, causing it to become more addicting. Children are getting affected by this unfortunate situation. I have come across multiple videos on TikTok stating that the newer generation of kids do not have manners and claiming they learned through the internet.

When I go out, I often see young children using electronic devices instead of interacting with other people, which is crucial for their age.

According to the article, “Responsive Interactions with Young Children” , I found out that interactions at a young age create bonds and have positive effects; for example it helps them have better problem-solving skills. One other way is they become more resilient with stressful encounters. If they are not receiving that, what will happen to the up-and-coming generations? Not having enough social interactions can cause depression, poor sleep and more.

Jacqueline Rivera, a freshman from Segerstrom High School, expressed her concerns on the effects technology has had on her younger family members.

“I have seen multiple of my younger cousins and my own younger brother being obsessed with his phone and the way my parents have to tell him multiple times to do something, and he won’t listen because he’s distracted by his phone,” Rivera said.

Freshman from Santa Ana High School, Solei Harris, has also noticed similar patterns.

“Yes, I have noticed relatives being affected by this. For example, my little brother doesn’t want to do his homework since he is focused on what is occurring on his iPad,” Harris said.

Harris, Rivera and I have previously discussed the patterns we have noticed among our relatives and the younger generation, a common one being how they no longer listen to their parents when asked to do a simple task. 

Rivera and Harris both agreed that this has affected them negatively.

“Yes, I have noticed this in other people and in myself too. When I’m in a conversation, I then go check my phone; even if I don’t have any notifications, I still check my phone. Many people do this no matter the conversation,” Rivera said.

Again, Harris had a similar answer as Rivera.

“Yes, I have been affected by this. My attention span isn’t as strong as it used to be. I will catch myself in class zoning out or going on my phone since I can’t concentrate,” Harris said. 

As I am out with my friends, I notice how they constantly have their AirPods on and frequently check their phones. Unfortunately, I am also a victim of this. I hardly ever take out my AirPods whenever I am outside and I tend to get distracted while having the urge to use my phone. We live in a world where there are constant distractions, trying to balance work, school, social life and the internet.

Something that contributed to our attention span decreasing was the pandemic. Slowly through those 2 years, like most people during quarantine, I lost touch with friends which left me to just use Social media. Every day I spent hours on social media leading me to learn this habit. I am still affected by it to this day. People, just like myself, constantly have the urge to use our phones wherever we go. We cannot focus on just one object at a time. 

Middle College High School Esports and gaming design teacher, Laura Compton,  gave her opinion on the matter and shared a different perspective.

“I would say yes and no. I, from my perspective, obviously, I was born before the internet came out. And so, I think it doesn’t affect our attention span. I think it affects our attention if that makes sense. So I can still pay attention just as well. Something that’s not technical, right? Like a book or listening to someone speak. But I think it’s more that technology distracts us from what we need to do,” Compton said.

She later spoke about knowing how to use technology properly.

“I’m obviously pro-technology. I use it a lot in my classroom. You know, I am. I teach gaming design and eSports and all of that. So again, I think education is the key. Learning how to use it, use it appropriately and then yeah, using it to benefit us in society,” Compton said.

We tend to get bored and then proceed to get distracted by our surroundings, mainly our phones. We use technology as a tool to avoid people and social interactions, which can lead to unhealthy habits. I think we need to set more regulations and educate ourselves. We must set a better example for the upcoming generations.