How’s your attention span?

I can't multitask anymore. I have to focus on one job.

If I go to the local shop, I have to focus on getting up to 3 things, I remember '3', then the 'bread, tea bags, corn flakes' is harder to forget! Four things and I need to write it down!

Is holding my attention the same as forgetfulness? Maybe related.

I rarely watch tv, so haven't watched a series/serial for at least a decade. I also do not scroll on my phone. Possibly because of my neural diversity, I find screens as small as a mobile phone screens almost impossible to engage with. The external clutter on the edges of my vision, make concentrating on it difficult.

I would say my attention span is as it has always been, poor in the short term, hyper concentration when the subject engages me.

As for long posts on GN. it is not just a question of length it is also readability. A screen length(on a pc) or more of text, posted as a block without paragraph breaks, punctuation or other use of white space to break the text up, has me elsewhere after half a screen, especially when written in stream of consciousness style. Properly paragraphed, punctuated and written in fairly shortsentences, and I will read to the end.

This is not an unreasonable demand, to ask of people, 'Please make it readable' since at least 95%, if not more, of posters do, long or short, write easily readable posts.

Definitely agree with the long posts. I actually find it quite rude to expect a complete stranger to read paragraph after paragraph when the narrative could be summarised to a few short ones.

Sometimes the long screed is not even split into paragraphs, GoodAfternoonTea.

I do find that my concentration is not what it was. Having just finished reading a rather long novel set in two time periods, the problem was remembering the many different characters and so I had to keep referring back to put them in context. My SisIL said the same when she got older.

Chardy I have always been a list-maker!

My attention span is useless nowadays.

I'm following a rather complicated crochet pattern at the moment and have had to frog it a couple of times!

I think binge watching has a lot to answer for.

Personally, I am pleased if a new tv series is only released week by week.

It gives me something to look forward to.

So many now are available to stream. Chatting to my sister recently, I asked her if she was watching the latest ‘ Lynley’.

“Oh yes” she said “we watched them all over 2 nights. Can’t be doing with waiting week after week”.

Well, each to his/her own, but instant gratification seems to be what it’s all about, hence attention span being the poorer.

Sometimes ‘anticipation is better than realisation’.

A few years ago my attention span was really bad. I couldn't focus on anything. I made a decision to start reading novels again. After about a year of trying and failing to finish books I gradually began to apply myself more and more.

Now I can sit for ages doing a puzzle or reading a book. I think I must have retrained my brain back to a reasonable fraction of what it was before the internet.

I confess to missing the pre internet days although I acknowledge that there are benefits to the internet. This site, for instance.

My attention span varies. I can knit fairly complex patterns (I do make mistakes, but I can out them right) and can still read critically. I can follow a long TV series, (often whilst knitting ) and so on.

But, I often wonder why I've gone into a room, I forget whether I've taken medication or not, I get names of actors wrong, or can't remember them (you know, the one who was in that film with the woman with red hair - she was married to what's his name), and I write down a lot more things than I used to. The big one for me is reading books. Until lockdown I used to read a lot, and I thought that being in the house for long periods would be a great opportunity to read more. It didn't work like that though, and it's got worse. I can't settle to reading a book for any length of time, and it takes so long to get through one that I've forgotten the beginning by the time I get to the end. I can read text books better (I do a lot of courses), but I struggle with novels. I don't know whether it's because I rarely use public transport these days, so don't have the dedicated 45 minutes each way that I did when I was travelling to work. I need to find a way to make reading for pleasure a part of my life again (I don't like reading in bed).

My attention span varies. I can knit fairly complex patterns (I do make mistakes, but I can out them right) and can still read critically. I can follow a long TV series, (often whilst knitting ) and so on.
It's when I try to do both at the same time

If I'm reading a book or watching a programme that I'm only half interested in, I find myself easily distracted and reach for the phone more frequently than if I'm fully absorbed. I can quite see the pernicious influence on a generation who have grown up in the technological age. I've really got no excuse

There was a very interesting programme on brain function ( no of course I can’t remember the the Channel or title😬) that shied the neutrons in your brain lighting up when you did different things.

One of the conclusions was that multitasking is bad for the brain.

Sorry I can’t be more specific. I was knitting at the same time and thinking about the crossword…………..

Allira

^My attention span varies. I can knit fairly complex patterns (I do make mistakes, but I can out them right) and can still read critically. I can follow a long TV series, (often whilst knitting ) and so on.^
It's when I try to do both at the same time

I can't watch TV unless I'm knitting. If the programme needs attention I have a simple pattern, and if it's not I will be doing fair isle or aran - I always have a few things on the go at the same time. The problems arise when a seemingly 'easy' programme gets complicated and I stop paying attention to the knitting . I'm currently sorting out a fair isle pattern as I got the sequence wrong during Traitors last night.

The way we watch TV has changed. I know I can watch it later or see what happens later although often I don't bother.

Likewise I don't mind if someone phones or calls during a programme because I know I can watch it another time. I consider this progress.

Our U3A monthly meetings are always at 2pm which is also my nap time so it's a real effort to stay awake even in the best talks.

I scroll down the very long posts on here but if something jumps out at me or others comment I go back and re-read.

I much prefer a well-thought out longer post to a soundbite one. GN is a discussion board, and it's hard to discuss things in one-liners.

"multitasking is bad for the brain" but it's what we women do!

For the devil of me I don't know how to clear my brain as in meditation which was often a precursor to yoga classes when I went to those. It's something I'd love to do I think it must be a very acquired discipline that may have to be worked on through a mantra.

My attention span is appalling!

I no longer have the patience to read books and yet I used to be an avid reader.

I can’t be bothered to watch tv series even though people keep telling me ‘oh you should watch so and so, you’d like it’.

I love watching tennis but even then I pick up my phone during every break to check on this and that, it’s really become a bad habit.

I am currently supposed to be reading a report for work.

Doodledog

Allira

My attention span varies. I can knit fairly complex patterns (I do make mistakes, but I can out them right) and can still read critically. I can follow a long TV series, (often whilst knitting ) and so on.
It's when I try to do both at the same time

I can't watch TV unless I'm knitting. If the programme needs attention I have a simple pattern, and if it's not I will be doing fair isle or aran - I always have a few things on the go at the same time. The problems arise when a seemingly 'easy' programme gets complicated and I stop paying attention to the knitting . I'm currently sorting out a fair isle pattern as I got the sequence wrong during Traitors last night.

I had to give up crocheting when Traitors came on!

When I was knitting (crocheting now) I'd find, if I got anxious watching a programme, the knitting would get tighter and tighter.

Doodledog

Allira

My attention span varies. I can knit fairly complex patterns (I do make mistakes, but I can out them right) and can still read critically. I can follow a long TV series, (often whilst knitting ) and so on.
It's when I try to do both at the same time

I can't watch TV unless I'm knitting. If the programme needs attention I have a simple pattern, and if it's not I will be doing fair isle or aran - I always have a few things on the go at the same time. The problems arise when a seemingly 'easy' programme gets complicated and I stop paying attention to the knitting . I'm currently sorting out a fair isle pattern as I got the sequence wrong during Traitors last night.

Agreed.

If I am writing or doing puzzles I can concentrate for hours.
Reading a book, especially one with a lot of characters , and my mind wanders. The same with films.

I think it's down to the internet. The instant access to news and information makes me constantly want to look things up and then I go down the rabbit hole of instagram, facebook and utube [I watched a Werner Herzog documentary about the Antarctic this morning which popped up when I was looking for something else]. I'm sure I should have been doing something else. I need to make myself turn my phone and ipad off for part of the day. I can't seem to read now that I can listen to podcasts.

We have to retrain our brains to remember seven items. Take a shopping list with you, but only use it if you really cannot remember 7 items. It is a good exercise to retain our memories. Picture yourself opening the fridge to see what is missing.

Mine is equivalent to that of a newborn flea...