Why Shorter Attention Spans Are Changing the Way We Write Online
Attention spans are getting shorter and we are not surprised with the ongoing disruptions from technology. Studies have shown that a person will spend approximately three minutes on a task before they are distracted, taking around twenty minutes to get back on task.
Each distraction we experience takes us away from our ability to perform. Smartphones are a leading cause for distraction, along with other forms of technology.
Screens and digital interruptions have impacted the quality of communications and attention. At the same time, intuition and empathy have also changed. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it means recognising and understanding these changes when we communicate, including how we write online.
Think back to when you were younger and read books. How many did you read each week? Most people read at least one book a week, enjoying the entertainment value. But since reading using digital devices, reading habits have changed. It's not uncommon to start reading something online, only to be distracted by an email or a ping from your phone that there is a message.
Digital communications have played a major role in changing attention spans. The average person's attention span has dropped from twelve seconds to less than eight seconds in the past twenty five years, this is a shorter attention span than a goldfish. Let that sink in for a second.
Studies have suggested that our attention spans are changing and is very task-dependent. Reading has not changed, but your audiences expectations of user experience has changed dramatically over the past few years.
Unlike the pre-digital era, now when we on the internet, we handle numerous stimuli at the same time, rather than concentrating on one thing. Our attentions are balancing different activities at once with studies showing an increase in multi-tasking. Interestingly, no matter what you think, humans are not good at multi-tasking, as each distraction takes you away from the task you are performing at the time.
Content goes viral on the internet because our attention is fuelled by social criteria. When interacting with content on social media, for example, your attention is directed by your preferences, along with external forces. This encourages you to focus your attention on the content without conscious decision.
As a result, with shorter attention spans, your audiences are looking for small, bite-sized content, such as posts and videos that they can consume quickly and effectively.
This involves adapting a multifaceted approach, effectively engaging your audience with short attention spans. Genie Crawl have put some effective strategies in place to get you started:
As attention spans shorten, businesses need to change how they write online, ensuring that they capture their audiences attention, while maintaining engagement. Contact Genie Crawl today if you need assistance creating content for shorter attention spans in 2025.
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