1. Wait, What?
How Media and
Technology Affects
Our Ability to Pay
Attention
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via Freepik.com
By: Samantha Sears
2. “A wealth of information creates a poverty
of attention” - Herbert Simon, 1977(1)
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3. is resulting in the decrease
of people’s attention span(4)
The increase in the use of
media and technology…
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4. The current attention span
of a human is 8 seconds…
compared to the 9 second
attention span of this guy(5)
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5. People who use
technology for
social media
heavily find it
hard to focus(3)
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6. 65% of heavy
social media
users report they
can’t focus on
small tasks(3)
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7. MULTITASKING has
become the norm:
using your phone,
computer, and
other devices
simultaneously at
work, school or just
in everyday life(3)
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8. Teens can now watch sports games and shows online,
allowing them to switch screens and multitask(12)
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9. Even adults who read e-books
are compromising the length of
their attention span.
The act of scrolling continuously
drains mental energy, meaning
less energy to focus attention to
other tasks(2)
10. Researchers have
found that people
who multitask
with many devices
are less effective
at doing simple
tasks and paying
attention(4)
12. We now live in a world
where we can be connected
to anyone through
hundredsof
networks through
technology→ you feel left
out if you are not
connected(5)
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13. People like
feeling LIKED!
You are more
likely to look
at social
media, which
distracts
you...
because it
instantly
connects
you to
others!(6)
14. When you multitask on
social media, it’s hard
for your brain to switch
back and forth between
tasks, making you less
likely to fully be aware
of what you are doing(11)
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16. The more people
use their devices or
spend time on the
internet, the more
cognitive failures
they make → they
can’t filter
important
information(8)
17. As the technology industry grows
exponentially, so do children’s brains...
Attention spans of children start shrinking at younger ages if they
are exposed to technology and media(9)
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18. Diagnoses of Attention Deficit Disorder have risen as
well as prescriptions for Ritalin in the past 10 years
along with the boom in technology and media(10)
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19. There is an
overwhelming amount
of information being
processed at one time
through these pieces of
media…
… making it hard for people to decide where to place their attention.
20. So how can we
adjust to the
rapidly
increasing
amount of
technology?
21. It’s time to turn our attention away
from the screens...
and on to real life.Picture CC: Pressfoto via Freepik.com
22. Works Cited
1. Matrix, Sidneyeve. "Module 1 Lecture 2: Media Effects." Film 240: Lecture. Ellis Auditorium, Queen's University, Kingston.
21 Sept. 2016. Lecture.
2. Jabr, Ferris. "The Reading Brain In The Digital Age: The Science Of Paper Versus Screens". Scientific American. N.p.,
2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
3. Krashinsky, Susan. "Advertisers Cash In On Attention Spans Of Digitally Savvy Canadians". The Globe and Mail. N.p.,
2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
4. Reddy, Sumathi. "Teen Researchers Defend Media Multitasking; Doing Homework With Music, Texts, Tweets Works Better
For Some". ProQuest. N.p., 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
5. Litsa, Tereza. "How Social Media Affects Your Attention Span". LinkedIn. N.p., 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
6. Deitchman, Alyssa. "Wait, What? On Social Network Use And Attention". Steinhardt.nyu.edu. N.p., 2016. Web. 17 Oct.
2016.
7. Ophir, E., C. Nass, and A. D. Wagner. "Cognitive Control In Media Multitaskers". Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences 106.37 (2009): 15583-15587. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
8. Millner, Jack. "Is Technology Rotting Your Brain? Heavy Mobile Phone And Internet Use Linked To Poor Attention Span".
Mail Online. N.p., 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
9. Brech, Jana. "Shorter Attention Span: The Impact Of Technology On Our Brains". Web Wise Wording. N.p., 2013. Web. 17
Oct. 2016.
10. Greenfield, Susan. "Modern Technology Is Changing The Way Our Brains Work, Says Neuroscientist". Mail Online. N.p.,
2016. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
11. Rosen, Larry D., L. Mark Carrier, and Nancy A. Cheever. "Facebook And Texting Made Me Do It: Media-Induced
Task-Switching While Studying". Computers in Human Behavior 29.3 (2013): 948-958. Web.
12. Shoalts, David. "Viewing Sports On Television In Decline Among Younger Fans, Study Finds". The Globe and Mail. N.p.,
2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
