Attention spans

Neda Mulji 

Published December 22, 2025

DAWN

YOUNG people focus attention for hours during a football game that they are passionate about, or while watching a nail-biting cricket match, or when they play video games with their eyes glued to the screen. Their interest, laser-sharp focus and relentless engagement begs the question: why can’t we get this kind of attention in our classrooms? Very often, teachers talk about short attention spans as the reason why students cannot sustain attention during lessons. While this may be true to some extent, there is more to the story.

Although there is some research on shorter attention spans, none of it is actually conclusive. In fact, most research on reduced attention spans, over the last few decades, focuses on correlation, not causation. Prof Gloria Mark reports that the average attention span when using digital devices has dropped from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to just 47 seconds today. This shift is linked to cognitive overload and multitasking stress. The shorter attention spans in this scenario are related to an external barrier — information overload.

A 2025 white paper from the Community Research Institute found that Gen Z’s average attention span is eight seconds, with high smartphone and social media use contributing to constant distraction. However, we are not told what we are comparing this revelation to and whether there is causation associated with device and social media use or correlation. Distraction takes away attention, it does not necessarily reduce it.

What has reduced, however, is tolerance for academic work, given digital distractions and a host of other more engaging activities. It also points towards a developing habit of scrolling through a wide range of media, with a fast momentum, so that children no longer have the patience to listen passively to a one-way lecture.

Amidst this kaleidoscope of information, students only involve themselves in learning when their curiosity is sparked enough. Their attention span demands immersive experiences and instant gratification through digital rewards. In fact, they have come to expect rewards for their time. But it is not just rewards that grab attention.

Tightly woven into the need for gratification is the desire for involvement in their lessons: ‘where am I in all this?’ To fulfil this need, they need opportunities to demonstrate what they have learnt.


Students are learning things way beyond classroom topics.

They now live in a world where they are inclined to share every moment, memory and experience across media. This phenomenon is just as important in classrooms where teachers can design opportunities for students to get gratification from learning. This is where digital integration in teaching and learning becomes paramount. Making their own videos and blogs, participating in discussion forums and maintaining a digital footprint enhances learning in unprecedented ways.

Children like to enjoy the agency of deciding what to do with their learning. Decades ago, they didn’t have this choice. If they didn’t ‘pay attention’ in class, they missed the boat. The opportunities provided by multimedia have ensured that there is no such thing as losing out. Now, there are infinite ways of catching up, with self-study options, AI support, personal tutors, etc.

Students are on a carousel of technology that adults are still catching up on. They are learning things way beyond classroom topics, acquiring skills well beyond their years and can communicate through various media that are outside the purview of classrooms.

Lamenting the loss of attention spans will not help educators find solutions. What might be needed is understanding that students’ learning styl­­es, decision-making capacity and respo­n­ses in the classroom have changed dramatically. This will help educators plan better.

Their attention span may be scattered rather than shortened and, if teachers hope to win back engagement, they might have to devise more creative teaching methods. The unfortunate reality is that most teachers tend to fall back on age-old techniques that they have either grown up with as students or used for decades as teachers. Techniques such as teaching in micro-bursts with bite-sized explanations, videos and memes, gamification such as a treasure hunt to find answers or using movement in class are still new to many teachers.

Moving away from traditional methods can be a game changer, especially as students continue to resist passive listening. In a world of rapid scrolling, attention is a rare currency available only to those who have learnt to connect with their listeners. Just like respect, attention cannot be demanded. It is earned through curiosity and communication — not coercion.

The writer is an author, teacher educator and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK. The views expressed are her own and do not reflect those of her employer.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2025

neda.mulji@gmail.com

X: @nedamulji

Neda Mulji has been teaching children and adults for over 15 years in Karachi, London and Dubai. Currently, she is a lecturer of Communication Skills at Amity University, Dubai.