Technology shortening human attention span

With the increasing number of portable devices, humans had become so overwhelmed by content that their attention span was getting shorter.

Microsoft conducted a survey of 2,000 people and used electroencephalograms (EEGs) to monitor the brain activity of another 112 in the study, aimed at assessing the impact on our daily lives of pocket-sized devices and the increased availability of digital media and information.

The good news in the 54-page report was that people's ability to multi-task had improved drastically in the information age, but unfortunately attention spans had fallen.

The average attention span in 2000 was 12 seconds, but this had fallen to just eight.

While the goldfish is believed have an attentions span of nine, those with more digital lifestyles found it difficult to stay focused when prolonged attention was needed.

The research also found the stereotype that women were better than men at multi-tasking might be completely wrong - finding men might be far superior at juggling tasks than their female counterparts.

According to experts people were now browsing the internet or gaming on their phones while watching TV, and in turn improving their ability to multi-task, experts.

The survey showed that high volumes of digital media consumption improved 'alternating attention', what researchers call our the ability to multi-task.

According to Owen Sagness, UK general manager for Microsoft, advertising and online, who was involved in the Attention Span study, Microsoft's research indicated that people's brains were adapting in response to their use of digital technology, causing an evolution of attention skills.

He added, consumer attention spans altered depending on a variety of factors such as age, vocation, time and place, which affected their interaction with advertising.