Estimated Read Time: 4 Minutes
Our attention spans are getting smaller…
This past week I have had conversations with multiple people about the limited attention span seemly characterizing the younger generations.
The next few years, we will start seeing Generation Alpha (born early 2010s) emerge as teenagers. I am starting to see them in my circles as a youth pastor. Generation Alpha and their GenZ counterparts have noticeably shorter attention spans than older generations. According to some older research from 2015, GenZ has an average attention span of eight seconds (that is four seconds less than their older millennial neighbors). You can read the article here. As I was reading across the internet on the experience and trends of Generation Alpha, I came across this post from Conrad Tan: “This week, I volunteered for a summer camp and was placed in the group that included 6–7 year olds. The experience was appalling…”
He later wrote:
Compared to when I was six years old in 2013, kids of this new generation are loud, restless and incredibly difficult people to work with socially. Always interrupting leaders during activities, having little respect for one-another and unable to sit still for more than a few minutes…
As a pastor and active member of my community, I am seeing these trends as Conrad describes firsthand. Like Conrad, I am also one of the earliest members of GenZ at the blurred line of GenZ and Millennial. I remember when the first iPhone came out. I remember the gamecube and dial up internet. We were the first digital natives, but we still had experienced, at least partially, life based in the physical reality. My friends and I played outside primarily up until the end of grade school to middle school.
However, I am not immune to the ever-demanding evolution of our modern behaviors. I find myself bored watching movies and choosing to mindlessly scroll on my phone simultaneously. I have seen my own attention span impacted by the constant bombardment and over saturation of digital content and ease of access.
As Christian parents, we must become aware of this society change and development. Answers are not universal, easy, or simple. However, being diligent, aware, and open to finding small ways of combating the rising tide of digital-desensitizing are the not option, but necessities.
Some practical thoughts:
Eat meals. Create a culture and rhythm in your family to sit down and eat meals together for a specific amount of time each day. This is a critical time in which we offer social interaction with our family, but also scheduled time away from our digital distractions. Create a culture of intentional focus on the meal, conversation, and shared experience.
Create fun ways of establishing longer activities which challenge the mind to stay engaged. From challenging activities to all day events, find ways to keep your family engaged and practice focusing for longer periods of time.
Live in the present. Spend time focusing on the things directly in front of us.
Sabbath. Practice time each week of creating zones of fun or special actives which prompt us to engage in the moment and enjoy the time together.
Converse often. Create space to talk and engage. In our digital world that is becoming more and more tribal online (we associate with groups/people we like primarily and/or exclusively while online) make space to talk often and deeply in your home.
Final thought
This week, I was leading a discussion with a group of teens and pre-teens. There was a clear difference between the two groups. The youngest GenZ/Oldest Generation Alphas are so distracted. If you have seen the animated movie Over the Hedge, Generation Alpha is like the squirrel Hammy.
Obviously, there are massive generalizations there. Yet, I fear that without thoughtful parenting and community guidance (like that found in church or spiritual mentorship) Generation Alpha will only continue down this chaotic and desensitizing path.
We must be intentional to bring life back into the lives of our families.