Understanding modern day attention spans is crucial in our ability to concentrate.

Generally speaking, attention spans are shorter than they have ever been. This is largely due to social media, particularly short-form video content that rarely lasts more than a minute and can be scrolled through.

You might therefore ask, whom might be the principle offenders (or better put, ‘antagonists’)?

…and I’d say they’re TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels!

There is a body of opinion (and an increasing amount of research) that indicates short form social media video content is leading to increasing levels of ADHD and ADD-like symptoms and behaviour in young children and young adults.

Just from using them myself (Youtube Shorts and Instagram Reels, I refuse to participate in Tiktok), they are incredibly addictive, and I can certainly feel that my attention span gets shortened when I use them, hence why I set timers on social media apps on my phone (which I believe is great practice for everyone trying to enhance their attention span).

It also highlights why encouraging hands on learning is even more essential in this digital age (or should I say, the ‘fourth industrial revolution’) and increasing active classroom participation is paramount to keeping the classroom engaged.

In a previous article, we discussed education-based learning apps such as Duo Lingo which help shift student’s attention from social media apps like Instagram to something which is valuable for their brain’s development.

Promoting hands on learning in the classroom from an early age, where children use interactive whiteboards to record their answers, write and act out plays, record assignments on videotape or take apart and put together a model of a small eyeball to study anatomy are not revolutionary or mind-blowing, but it does reinforce how important it is to keep learning interactive and hands-on…and of course age appropriate!

I can’t imagine a 15-year-old GCSE student being too amused at these suggestions which of course are aimed at younger children!

Further Reading: Jeanne Sager – 14 Ways to Improve Student Concentration That Really Work