How smartphones weaken attention spans in children and adults

By Ignacio Blanco-Alfonso, Catedrático de Periodismo de la Universidad CEU San Pablo (Madrid, España), Universidad CEU San Pablo
María Solano Altaba, Profesora de la Facultad de Humanidades y CC. Comunicación Universidad CEU San Pablo, Universidad CEU San Pablo

It’s no secret that smartphones and other digital devices control and consume our attention, both among adults and young people. This can be illustrated with three different, but very common scenarios:

A group of teenagers are sat beside one another. Each of them is staring down into a screen.
Commuters on public transport are hunched over their phones, scrolling infinitely through social media or playing an addictive game. Very few people are reading a book, or even looking out of the window.
You are finishing a presentation for work…

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© The Conversation - Thursday, November 30, 2023

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