There鈥檚 a growing concern that that constant use of portable electronic devices diminishes our mental abilities, and a recent study confirms those suspicions 鈥� we now have a shorter attention span than a goldfish.
Microsoft Corp. surveyed more than 2,000 Canadians who played games online to see what impact pocket-sized devices and the increased availability of digital media and information are having on everyday life. Researchers also used electroencephalograms to monitor 112 people.
The research found that people have become much more adept at multitasking. On the other hand, the study showed a decline in people鈥檚 attention spans to eight seconds, from an average of 12 seconds in 2000. A goldfish is believed to have an attention span of nine seconds.
(Are you still with us?)
It鈥檚 no surprise. Conversations are being replaced by 140-character messages. Too many people would rather be fed electronic pap than make the effort to read a book.
The addiction to electronic devices has resulted in a measurable drop in productivity in some workplaces. Schools worried about the distractions caused by texting and other communications insist students turn their devices off. And we have all seen drivers staring intently down at their gadgets rather than at the road.
Living life in short electronic bursts also affects people鈥檚 ability to complete tasks. They tend to just, um, 鈥�
