The decline of the attention span: what does it mean for communications?

Have we still got your attention? 

The decline of the attention span is the measurable deterioration in people’s ability to focus on a task or activity.

While our attention span depends on the individual and the task we’re completing, research suggests that the time we’re able to concentrate on something has decreased from 12 seconds in 2000 to around just 8 seconds in 2020. The main causes being the rise of digital media and reliance on social platforms.

Now this isn’t breaking news, but it is getting worse.

Digital reading is destroying our ability to ‘deep read’ as we skim, scan and scroll. We may all be guilty of skipping past an article or video that doesn’t capture our attention immediately, moving away from a webpage if it doesn’t load fully, or just picking up our phone in quiet moments. As a society we are consuming more content than ever, with an infinite amount of information at our fingertips, and yet our level of focus doesn’t match this. 

So, what does this mean for our work as communications professionals?

It’s important for us to understand our audiences: who they are, what we’re telling them, how they absorb information and what issues are at the forefront of their minds.

Essentially we now, more than ever, need to think of more innovative ways to capture the attention of our target audience.

Articles

Our concentration time suggests that, while there may be a time and place for longer form content, the reader will prefer snappy pieces that provide the information they’re searching for within the first few paragraphs. 

Of course we know that this is the golden rule of drafting articles, but in recent years it has become increasingly important.

It’s our job to understand and advise on types of written content and where they would be best placed for the best result - but it’s crucial to learn more on how our language connects with our audiences to adapt.  

Effective writing is the key to beating this attention span reduction, even more so now. We need to be saying what we need to in as little words as possible. Clear, precise and concise writing supports the reader in making it through the piece and absorbing the message. 

Podcasts

Podcast listenership has been increasing year-on-year, reaching an estimated 15.5 million listeners in 2025. The convenience of podcasts, with the ability to listen and learn while going about our busy lives, has been cited as the biggest reason for their growth. 

It’s easy to create podcasts and lots of people / organisations do so in varying lengths and types. But, the challenge is making them relevant and stimulating to a specific audience. There’s room for further thought on how we can make more of this platform. 

Augmented/virtual reality 

Meta Quest and Google ARCore are new and exciting content platforms that are increasing in both accessibility and popularity.

Where this type of content used to be a ‘nice to have’, considering how to incorporate them into campaigns can be key to successfully connecting with audiences – of all ages, not just the attention of the younger generation as may previously have been thought. 

The decline in our attention span means that the way we learn and absorb information is changing. This clearly opens up an opportunity to adapt, be creative and step into the future with engaging content and platform choices. The question is, how will you adapt to move forward with this change?