It is undeniable that in our society’s recent history, we have been held witness to an obvious shift in behaviour amongst the younger generation.

This uncomfortable truth hangs in the air of every classroom and household- the attention span of adolescents is becoming painfully short. 

 

The NHS claims that ‘working alone on a single activity, a 6-year-old may stay interested in as much as 30 minutes’, however, it would be wishful to believe that this is standard amongst children today.

Social media has been flooded with the grievances of parents and, notably, teachers worked to the bone by inattentive, disruptive children. 

Classrooms are progressively becoming places of captivity rather than a nurturing environment for learning. 

 

This alarming decline in focus (and subsequent increase in poor behaviour) can be explained as a consequence of the unprecedented event which was the covid-19 lockdown.

The lockdown created a country of socially isolated youths- a time in their lives in which the formation of friendships is crucial. 

A lack of contact between peers led to children turning to their devices in desperate search of mental stimulation.

However, the short form content which media today offers couldn’t have been more detrimental for this country’s developing minds.

Platforms like TikTok feed brains with largely pointless dopamine hits which prove to be damaging on returning to the classroom.

Additionally, the extreme stress and anxiety experienced by all during the lockdown also contributed to a decrease in attention span.

 

In the meantime, teachers and parents can only persevere and wait to see if this damage will prove to be long term.