Asmita Sharma
Team TeacherTribe
The cultural landscape has shifted dramatically in the last few years. Remnants of the ‘shut-in’ era have rewritten many rules and introduced new ones. For instance, the entertainment industry is grappling to determine what works at the box office, while the fashion industry attempts to keep pace with emerging trends and variations of ultra-fast micro-trends. Many now view society to be existing in two timelines- the cultural era before the pandemic and the period after.
During this era, there was a significant rise in short-form and bite-sized content, with a torrential pour of reels and YouTube shorts now populating our ‘timelines’. These videos and aligned content are crafted to be engaging, short and particularly cater to our needs for ‘instant gratification’. The content style allowed for information to be quick and easily digestible. If the featured content didn’t meet these parameters, the next video would just be a minor scroll away.
This accessibility has taken a significant toll on attention spans across generations. The phenomenon is particularly noted in children who are accustomed to screens. Sustaining periods of concentration has become a challenge. Studies have depicted that the average time of humans has shortened to less than 8 seconds. Many students also attributed their impatience and reluctance to tackle difficult tasks such as maths homework to their need to digest the content fast.
However, the screens also provide necessary resources for students to learn more and expand on their coursework.
How to address the problem in the classroom?
Providing brain breaks: Short exercises and some physical activity can help students retain information and concentrate on their tasks at hand
Avoid packing too much information in a class: Direct and clear communication can help foster attentiveness among the students.
Incorporating microlearning techniques with the help of games, puzzles and quizzes can address and focus on the subject.
Integrating strategies such as goal-setting and single-tasking, or focusing on one task at a time, can help minimise distractions and promote learning.
When we are constantly surrounded and overstimulated by images, media and short-form pieces of content, it can shape our minds to reframe how we learn. However, it is crucial to disconnect ourselves at regular intervals and engage in activities to recharge our minds.
How would you address lowering attention spans in the class? Share your views here – asharma@greycaps.com.