According to attention span researcher Gloria Mark, people are scrolling more on social media, reading less, and having less focus.
Some of her earlier research, published in April 2004, showed that the average person at the time focused their attention on a single screen for about two and a half minutes while replying to an email or reading an online article. In 2016, that number was 47 seconds, which is about the length of videos seen on social media today, said Mark, a professor of information studies at the University of California, Irvine.
More recently, there has been a decline in participation in the habit of attention-grabbing novel reading. Less than half of Americans read only one book in the 12 months ending July 2022, according to a National Endowment for the Arts survey released in October 2023 on public participation in the arts. Between 2003 and 2023, the percentage of Americans who read for pleasure each day decreased by more than 40%, according to research from the University of Florida and the University of London published in August 2025.
Shortened attention spans can have ripple effects in many areas of life. According to a 2020 study conducted by researchers at Stanford University, a lack of concentration correlates with a decreased ability to recall information.
Additionally, constantly shifting your attention can cause stress, and think about how you feel when your to-do list seems endless and you don’t know where to start. Mark points out that when you’re stressed, you can have a hard time concentrating.
“When you’re focused, you’re able to reflect, reflect, and think more deeply, which helps you retain information better,” says Mark, who wrote the 2023 book Attention Span: A Revolutionary Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity, based on decades of research.
Regardless of your starting point, anyone can improve their attention span, she added. “We’re just out of practice and we’re not using our mind muscles to concentrate for long periods of time. We have to get back to practice.”
Mark suggests five actions to strengthen your attention span and improve your ability to maintain deep focus.
5 ways to improve your concentration span
1. Get plenty of rest
“It’s really important to start your day with full cognitive resources,” says Mark. She says that high-quality sleep allows your brain to feel refreshed and alert from the moment you wake up the next day.
Many sleep experts recommend setting and sticking to daily bedtimes and wake-up times as often as possible. This is because it helps your brain fall asleep each night. For example, going to bed at 11pm and waking up at 7am. It also recommends getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night to feel fully rested, although the exact amount varies from person to person.
2. Set realistic goals and stick to them
Mark says goals are great for staying focused because “we pay attention to what the goal is.”
She recommends writing down a specific, realistic goal for the next day each night and repeating it to yourself out loud or in your head throughout the day. If you want to have some influence on what you read, make a concrete plan for when you will read it and how much time you will spend reading it. You can also engage in visualization exercises, where you mentally imagine yourself accomplishing those goals, Mark added.
Mark also recommends setting emotional goals, such as feeling calm or fulfilled at the end of the day, and asking yourself what steps you need to take to make that happen. “Our emotions are related to our ability to focus,” says Mark. According to Harvard Health Publishing, emotional stress can impair brain functions such as attention.
3. Identify “peaks and valleys” of focus
Notice when you typically feel most focused and productive, and when you tend to need a break. “Our research shows that people’s attention follows a rhythm, so there are peaks and troughs throughout the day,” Mark says.
According to Mark, most people’s concentration is highest in the early morning and mid-morning hours. “Then you get into the valley around noon, so it’s the perfect time to take a long break.” A good mental break usually lasts about 20 minutes, she said on a November 2024 episode of Steelcase’s “Work Better” podcast. You can benefit from taking a break outdoors, she tells CNBC Make It. Spending time in nature can improve creativity and cognitive function.
“We found that people’s attention peaked again in the mid-afternoon,” Mark says. “Of course, everyone is different. Some people peak earlier, others later.”
4. Read more books
This may sound counterintuitive for those who feel their attention spans are diminished, but when it comes to improving focus, “reading is one of the best things a human being can do,” says Mark.
She says the more people read, the more their working memory, the brain’s ability to remember information while performing other mental processes, strengthens. If you read a new section of a book and absorb the information while remembering details from the first half of the story, you’re training your working memory.
Before you start reading, Mark suggests finding a quiet environment and leaving your device in another room to avoid distractions. “Make it an interesting book that you can really get into,” she added.
5. Work on metacognition
Meta-awareness means “being aware of what you’re doing as it’s unfolding,” Mark says. To practice this, she suggests catching yourself when your attention shifts from your current task to the urge to check your phone notifications or email.
When this happens, ask yourself, “Do I need to do it now?” If it’s important but you can put it off, Mark suggests instead putting the thought down on paper and refocusing your attention on the original task at hand. Continue with your current action until you reach a natural break, such as the end of a chapter if you’re reading a book, or until you need to tackle a more important task immediately.
“It may be a little tough at first, but remember we are mindful of our goals, so stick to them and see them through,” Mark says.
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