Our attention spans are getting shorter, with the average shrinking to as little as 47 seconds. On August 4, 2026, SciLine interviewed Dr. Gloria Mark, a chancellor’s professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine.
TV bundle includes:
Soundbite (SOT)
VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)
Raw, full-length interview video & log with timecodes (upon request via form below)
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Click for VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)
ANCHOR
ATTENTION SPANS ON OUR SCREENS ARE GETTING SHORTER… WITH THE AVERAGE SHRINKING TO AS LITTLE AS 47-SECONDS.
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DOCTOR GLORIA MARK… A CHANCELLOR’S PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE… HAS STUDIED ATTENTION SPANS FOR MORE THAN 20-YEARS.
HER RESEARCH SHOWS THE AVERAGE TIME WE SPEND FOCUSED ON A SCREEN HAS DROPPED FROM TWO-AND-A-HALF-MINUTES… TO 75-SECONDS… TO NOW JUST 47-SECONDS.
SHE SAYS CONSTANTLY SHIFTING OUR ATTENTION COMES WITH A COST… LIKE MORE MISTAKES… MORE STRESS… AND SLOWER WORK… SOMETHING THAT’S ESPECIALLY CONCERNING IN HIGH-STAKES FIELDS LIKE MEDICINE.
A LACK OF FOCUS ALSO MAKES IT HARDER TO RETAIN INFORMATION… EVEN MORE SO AS WE RELY ON DEVICES TO REMEMBER THINGS FOR US.
BUT DOCTOR MARK SAYS ANOTHER REASON THIS TOPIC IS SO IMPORTANT… IS BECAUSE WHAT WE FOCUS ON SHAPES HOW WE EXPERIENCE LIFE.
SOT Duration: :53
Super: Dr. Gloria Mark – Chancellor Professor, University of California, Irvine
“Whatever we pay attention to is what enters into our experience, right? All of our experiences are formed based on what we pay attention to. So if kids pay attention to screens, that’s forming the kind of person they will become. If they’re paying attention to nature or to other people, when people pay attention in conversations, that also helps form what they become. So, you know, whatever we pay attention to will enter working memory, we process it enough, then it becomes part of us, right? It becomes part of our long-term memories. So attention is probably, think of it as just the gateway to forming our experiences.”
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SO HOW DO WE GET OUR FOCUS BACK?
DOCTOR MARK SAYS PUT YOUR PHONE OUT OF SIGHT… REMOVE CLUTTER AROUND YOU… AND WORK IN A QUIET SPACE.
SHE ALSO SUGGESTS TAKING REAL BREAKS THROUGHOUT THE DAY… LIKE A WALK OUTSIDE… AND GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP TO LET YOUR BRAIN REST AND RECOVER.
Raw, full-length interview covers:
How attention spans work and develop in kids versus adults;
What research shows about changes in attention spans over time;
The effects of screen time on people’s ability to focus and learn;
How to reduce distractions at home, at work, and school;
How multitasking affects attention and performance; and
How to protect attention span in an increasingly digital world.
