When's the last time you settled down with a good book, just because you enjoyed it? A new survey shows reading as a pastime is becoming dramatically less popular in the US, which correlates with an increased consumption of other digital media, like social media and streaming services.
I believe social media and short-form videos have completely tanked the average person’s attention span, and I’m certainly included in that demographic. I’ve read more this year than the past 5 years (probably), but goddamn is it difficult to stay focused on reading.
I personally don’t think attention spans have gotten worse. The problem is that tech has figured out how to grab your attention and toss it around so well that it feels like an addiction. We’ve come a long way from neon sign advertisement to whatever hell social media is now.
I suppose it could be a little bit of both.