Focus Interrupted: How Technology is Shrinking Our Attention Spans

Let’s start with you. How has your attention span felt lately? Do you find yourself struggling to stay focused at work? Do you catch yourself checking your phone instead of completing tasks? Is it becoming harder to concentrate for extended periods?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are not alone! Consider this your check-in—maybe even as you read this, you’ve already felt the urge to look at your phone.

While technology offers incredible opportunities for connection and learning, it’s also interfering with our ability to focus. Our attention spans are shrinking, making it harder to stay engaged in a single task for long periods. A University of California, Irvine study found that workers who were frequently interrupted by emails took 50% longer to complete tasks and reported higher stress levels.

The Impact on Developing Minds

Now, if you’re noticing these changes in yourself, imagine what’s happening in the developing brains of children. Their brains are actively wiring based on their environment, and with constant digital distractions, they may be missing out on the deep, sustained focus that strengthens the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for attention and self-control.

Teachers who work with us at FocusedKids are regularly reporting that their students are struggling to focus in the classroom. In 4th and 5th grade classrooms, students are so aware of it themselves that they actively say things like, “time to lock in” when they need to focus all of their attention on an assignment or project.

Technology’s Influence on SEL and Parenting

Technology’s influence on attention is especially relevant in social-emotional learning (SEL) and parenting, as both rely on presence, self-regulation, and connection.

SEL & Focus: How Tech Shapes Emotional Regulation

• Self-Regulation Challenges: Constant digital stimulation can reduce a child’s ability to self-regulate emotions, as they are conditioned for instant gratification. SEL programs like FocusedKids emphasize mindfulness and self-awareness, which counterbalance these effects by helping children build sustained attention.

• Empathy & Social Skills: Screen-heavy environments may decrease face-to-face interactions, limiting opportunities to practice social cues, deep listening, and emotional attunement. SEL teaches children to be present and engaged in interpersonal interactions, counteracting the distraction-heavy nature of tech.

• Executive Functioning: SEL supports goal-setting, impulse control, and attention regulation, all of which are affected by excessive screen use.

Parenting: How Technology Affects Presence & Connection

• Parental Attention & Co-Regulation: When parents are distracted by devices, they may miss key moments for emotional connection, which children rely on for co-regulation. Research shows that “technoference” (parental screen distractions) can lead to more behavioral issues in kids and weaker parent-child bonds.

• Modeling Focus & Self-Regulation: Kids learn by observing adults. If they see caregivers frequently distracted by screens, they internalize divided attention as the norm.

• Tech’s Role in Stress Regulation: Parents often use devices for stress relief (e.g., scrolling social media), but this can lead to dysregulated nervous system states if it becomes avoidance rather than mindful relaxation.

Practical Solutions: Rebuilding Focus

These 3 simple strategies can begin to rebuild neural connections in the brain that lead to stronger connections between parents and children, healthy modeling for our youth, and better access to the prefrontal cortex.

Parenting Strategies for Focus & Connection:

✅ “Phone Away, Eyes on You” Rule – Put devices down during quality time.

✅ Narrate Your Focus – Say, “I’m putting my phone away so I can really listen to you.”

✅ Co-Regulation Over Screen Use – Use breathing exercises or play rather than screens to soothe stress.

Age-Specific Research Insights

Additionally, here is what research is saying about age-specific effects of technology on focus:

Ages 0-5 years: Excessive screen exposure can interfere with development of attention control and self-regulation. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen time to 1 hour per day for kids under 5, focusing on high-quality, interactive content.

Ages 6-12: High screen use is linked to reduced sleep quality, which directly impacts attention and learning. A Lancet Child & Adolescent Health study (2018) found that children with more than 2 hours of recreational screen time per day scored lower on cognitive tests.

Ages 13-18: Social media and fast-paced digital content (e.g., TikTok, YouTube Shorts) are associated with reduced attention span and increased impulsivity. JAMA Pediatrics (2022) reported that adolescents with high digital engagement showed hyperactivity-like symptoms over time.

Taking Back Control

At FocusedKids, we continue to offer a proactive approach to helping everyone’s brains feel stronger, smarter, and better able to focus and pay attention.

We don’t have to live in a world where technology is in charge. With awareness, practice, and intention, we can find the balance in the coexistence of technology and a healthy focused brain.

What strategy are you going to implement today?