If focus feels harder to hold onto than it used to, you're not imagining it, and you're not alone. Here's what the research on attention actually supports, in order of how much it helps relative to how hard it is to do.
In short: the single step with the strongest evidence behind it is removing the environment that interrupts you — algorithmic feeds, notifications, constant self-interruption — rather than trying to concentrate harder inside it. A 2025 randomized trial found that two weeks without mobile internet measurably improved sustained attention. From there, small daily habits (set goals, protect quiet time, take real breaks) compound.
Where attention actually stands
Gloria Mark's research at UC Irvine tracks how long people stay on one screen before switching to another. Her first study, from 2003-04 data, found an average of about 2.5 minutes. More recent studies put that average at roughly 47 seconds, with a median closer to 40 seconds — meaning half of all observed stretches were shorter than that. Mark's own framing matters here: this measures time before switching screens, not a clinical attention-span test, and by her own account, people interrupt themselves about half the time, often to check something rather than being pulled away by a notification.
The useful takeaway isn't the exact number, it's what Mark found changes it: a quieter environment, clearer goals, and fewer competing demands for attention all lengthen that window. She describes herself as cautiously optimistic that average attention spans can lengthen again.
Remove the interruption, don't fight it
The best-evidenced single change is environmental, not willpower-based. In a 2025 randomized controlled trial published in PNAS Nexus, participants who blocked mobile internet access on their phones for two weeks (calls and texts kept working) showed measurable improvements in sustained attention, mental health and subjective well-being compared with a control group. This is one of the few results in this space that's genuinely causal, not just correlational.
You don't have to go that far to get some of the benefit. The specific mechanism in most people's days is the endless, algorithmically fed scroll — Reels, Shorts, Explore, For You — which has no natural stopping point and rewards you unpredictably, both of which make it unusually hard to put down compared with, say, reading messages. Removing those feeds specifically, while keeping the parts of an app you actually use, gets at the same mechanism with less disruption to your life. On iPhone, Stillfeed does this for Instagram, YouTube and other platforms, free from your first launch. If you have just bought a phone with a bigger screen, the iPhone Duo productivity test is one way to measure what it does to your focus.
Daily habits with real evidence
Once the biggest source of interruption is reduced, these smaller habits compound, per Mark's research and the broader attention literature:
- Set an explicit goal before you start. Attention tends to follow a stated goal. Write it down or keep it visible rather than holding it loosely in mind.
- Protect real quiet, monotasking time. Block time with no messages or notifications, and do one thing in it. Multitasking doesn't make you faster; it fragments attention across tasks.
- Work your hardest task at your peak. Track a few days to find when your focus is naturally highest, then schedule demanding work there instead of wherever it falls on the calendar.
- Take breaks before you tire, not on a rigid timer. Mark is skeptical of one-size-fits-all approaches like the Pomodoro technique; your own fatigue is a better signal than a fixed 25-minute block.
- Spend time outdoors. Around 20 minutes outside is associated with lower stress and better creativity in the research Mark cites.
- Use easy activities as real breaks, with limits. Quitting every enjoyable, light activity isn't necessary or realistic — just set a time limit so a break doesn't become its own attention trap.
If you suspect ADHD
A short attention span that shows up across most of your life — work, reading, conversations, not just your phone — and that's been present since childhood is worth discussing with a doctor; it may be more than habit. The strategies above still help, but ADHD is a clinical condition that can also benefit from treatment beyond environment changes. See our coverage of doomscrolling and ADHD for more on the overlap. If what you're noticing feels more like general fogginess than a lifelong pattern, see what is brain rot? for the research on short-form video specifically. The doomscrolling guides cover the feed side of the problem in more depth.
Test your attention span
Our 60-second attention span test is a go/no-go reaction test: respond when a circle turns green, hold back when it turns red, for about a minute. It measures your sustained attention and impulse control right now, not a fixed trait, and it isn't a diagnosis — but it's a concrete number to track as you change your setup, rather than a feeling. For the habit behind it, take the phone addiction test too.
Common questions
How can I improve my attention span fast?
The fastest-acting change with real evidence behind it is removing your biggest source of interruption, usually an algorithmic feed. A 2025 trial found measurable attention improvements within two weeks of removing mobile internet access entirely; removing just the endless-scroll feeds from the apps you use gets at the same mechanism with less disruption.
Why is my attention span so short lately?
Average time spent on one screen before switching has fallen from about 2.5 minutes in the mid-2000s to roughly 47 seconds in more recent research, driven by a combination of notifications, algorithmic feeds designed to be hard to leave, and self-interruption. It isn't a fixed trait, and research points to specific, reversible causes.
Does deleting social media fix attention span?
You don't need to delete every app. The research points to removing the specific endless-feed mechanism — Reels, Shorts, Explore, For You — rather than the apps wholesale, since messages and search aren't the part causing the problem.
Is a short attention span a sign of ADHD?
Not necessarily. Most short attention spans today track with phone and feed habits rather than a clinical condition. If it's lifelong, shows up across most areas of your life, and isn't explained by your current habits, it's worth discussing with a doctor.
How do I check my attention span?
Use the free 60-second attention span test: it scores missed greens, clicked reds and reaction time, which separates attention drifting from impulse control slipping. Repeat it under the same conditions after a week of changes to see whether anything moved.
This article is general information, not medical advice.
Sources
- Castelo, N., Kushlev, K., Ward, A. F., Esterman, M. & Reiner, P. B. (2025). Blocking mobile internet on smartphones improves sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-being. PNAS Nexus, 4(2).
- University of California, How to sharpen your attention and meet your goals (interview with Gloria Mark, UC Irvine).
