Digital technology is firmly believed to be destroying attention spans, one scroll at a time. But are users really noticing any difference, and if so, how are they mitigating any impact?
Researchers Dr William Ngiam, Dr Natasha van Antwerpen, Dr Ella Moeck and Dr Carly Stagg from Adelaide University analysed Reddit posts about the desire to digitally disconnect.
“There is a lot being said and done about digital technology at the moment. We wanted to know whether the research and what the general public is perceiving were addressing the same thing. Our hunch was that it was not,” Dr Ngiam, Lecturer in the School of Psychology, said.
“We wanted to understand how people are experiencing the impact of digital technology on their attention. So, we looked at what impacts were being reported, as well as the strategies being put in place, from those in the situation.”
The findings were published in the journal Collabra: Psychology.
“Our analysis found a whole host of perceived impacts including individual level impacts - fracturing of attention, wasting time, and mindless consumption; and societal level impacts - disconnection from relationships and the expectation to be constantly connected,” Dr Ngiam said.
“Users expressed being disappointed and astounded by the time wasted, and some users described knowing they were wasting time, but being unable to stop.
“The attention economy, algorithms, attention-grabbing design features, and the reality that is hard to function in society without being digitally connected were the main reappearing reasons that users pointed to.
“But the key is that the impacts are wide-ranging and multifaceted – perhaps beyond what current scientific research aims to understand and address.”
Dr Ngiam said the research team also examined strategies being used to mitigate any impacts.
“We classed strategies on a continuum from moderation (such as content curation or intentional use of devices) to elimination (removing apps and using dumbphones),” he said.
Some users reported finding these strategies effective, while others discussed that trying to reduce technology use came at the cost of social connection or relying too much on individual willpower.
“Posts often discussed a tension between being responsible for limiting your own technology use, and the responsibility of technology companies deliberately designing features and content to grab and hold your attention,” said Dr van Antwerpen, Lecturer in the School of Psychology.
“Our findings spotlight whether the best policy is to ban digital technology; even among people concerned about digital technology, there's recognition that it brings benefits or might even be necessary to participate in society.”