attention span

noun

1. the interval during which an individual can concentrate, as on a single object, idea, or activity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of attention span¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

My attention span is now short, shallow, and prone to melodrama.

From Time

The game has also been shown to improve attention span in adults.

From MIT Technology Review

What was true in Caples’ 1920s heyday is doubly so in the mobile age, when attention spans are shorter than a fruit fly’s!

From TechCrunch

That was a while ago and I’m willing to bet that attention spans have decreased, especially in the past year as many of us have developed Zoom fatigue.

From Search Engine Land

I think her ability to stay focused, her attention span and all that stuff is just how she works and what goes into her game.

From Washington Post

The human attention span is evolving in such a way that they can skip around.

From The Daily Beast

The more interactive the medium, the more it will stunt the attention span.

From The Daily Beast

And, she said with a chuckle, he has an attention span of 11 minutes.

From The Daily Beast

The coverage reflects the short attention span and limited interest in Russia in the Western press, but it may also be accurate.

From The Daily Beast

This seemed far more suited to my short attention span and it seemed faster to build up a number of followers.

From The Daily Beast

The attention span of students in high school and universities is not much shorter than that of their instructors: one typed page.

From Project Gutenberg

Required reading for classes, according to teachers, cannot exceed the attention span of their pupils.

From Project Gutenberg