Why is modern attention span so short ?

Why is it so hard for people to focus on what they are doing?

Has the attention span of humans been reduced to seconds?

Distraction is a key element in sales, advertising, and illusions; but why do so many find it necessary to provide themselves with distractions when working, or walking, or driving, or looking at a wonderful view? Have humans become so conditioned by commercial distractions that they must practice self-distraction all of the time? When confronted by a scene that is to be admired, modern people do not admire, they take photographs. Instead of allowing the whole view to be etched into their awareness they place a mechanical gadget between themselves and the reality and then try to convince themselves that this partial restricted section, captured on their camera; is the whole event.

People walk and wear headphones obliterating much of the enjoyment of any walk. People drive cars and have mobile phones and radios constantly drowning out the sensations and any sense of the pleasure of driving. People watch a film on TV and use their phones or talk over the plot and dialogue. Offices of work should be pockets of concentration on the job in hand, but they are a hubbub of noise, many different people in same room on telephones or talking to others- how can anyone give 100% concentration and focus to what they are doing? People have TV or radio on all day, in their homes and places of work, as background noise. Why is this necessary? Why not give 100% attention to whatever you are doing? Even the dangers that most agree are caused by pedestrians walking into traffic while focused on their smart phone; does not stop so many doing this. Nearly every person knows that while driving with such a distraction is illegal, yet people still cannot walk through a town and appreciate the visual contact with that town and its population, without distracting themselves with their smart phone.

A hundred years ago a baby would be placed in their pram or cot and left to sleep or just positioned in a garden so the natural noise from birds and insects would be all the baby could receive. Now infants are constantly bombarded, overwhelmed, with artificial noise, distractions from life. Is this the cause of such shortened attention spans? Is this the reason the young now, constantly demand distraction, novelty and have such difficulty being self-sufficient in anything? It is almost as if silence, or the absence of artificial noise is painful. People talk at others, never listen to the ambient sounds or the reply. Since most people do this, it is no wonder that misunderstandings occur. Since both people are seeking to drown out silence and neither is listening, if it is obvious that confusion can be the result. The rejuvenation that comes from simply being in silence and stillness has been abandoned; unless of course you pay someone to teach you whatever the latest fashion is in self-awareness. May be that is the key to the prosperity of those selling “Mindfulness” or whatever the current idea that is “trending” is called. All most people need is to just sit down be still and let silence take over. You do not need to buy a book or go to classes or download a video to show how you do this.

Is it the modern claims for the merits of “multi-tasking” that has led people to imagine that if they have two senses occupied at the same time, this is better than attending totally to one?

It seems even in schools from 4 years old things have changed, from being required to pay attention to the teacher, now free expression is allowed. Where is this going to end?