Middle school mathematics kicked my butt.

My struggle was not with the concepts as much as it was with the concentration the subject required. My mom consistently found herself spending hours wrestling with my attention span over scattered sheets of homework and old coffee.

At the risk of aging myself immensely, I will say that this struggle took place before smartphones were prevalent. Thus, I could not blame my wrecked focus on screentime. 

However, nearly a decade later, our society’s collective attention span has arguably been obliterated. Reading is a struggle that most adolescents and young adults will not try to tackle, which we discussed last week.

That being said, we have not yet answered important follow-up questions.

Why is reading a struggle? Why can’t we focus while reading?

Nanyang Technological University of Singapore collaborated with the U.S. based AI platform ListenLabs.ai to uncover what’s happening to adolescents and young adults’ attention spans through a 2025 study.

To no one’s surprise, their research indicated a link between the use of social media and the declining attention spans, emotional volatility and compulsive behaviours among individuals ages 13 to 25. 

This means nearly all participants were a part of Generation Z. If you’re reading this, it’s likely you are too.

Gloria Mark, who is chancellor’s professor of informatics at the University of California, said one large contributing factor to these side effects is the amount of time we spend multitasking through social media. During a podcast with the American Psychological Association, Mark explained why multitasking is correlated with high stress levels.

“The faster the attention switching occurs, stress is measured by people wearing heart rate monitors. We show that stress goes up,” Mark said. “We know from decades of research in the laboratory that when people multitask, they experience stress, and blood pressure rises.”

These high levels of stress can impair focus. 

Many Gen Z smartphone users rely on restrictive technology to limit phone use during focus hours, but Mark argues that focus apps only work for some individuals. After all, there is almost always a way to override the application’s restraints. Its effectiveness is contingent on the user’s self-discipline.

Emily Elliott, a Louisiana State University psychology professor, provided a second opinion on multitasking between activities.

Temiloluwa Oduola-Owoo, LSU mass communication student, interviewed Elliott last fall to better understand what’s negatively impacting college students’ attention spans. Adding onto Mark’s perspective, Elliott said that switching tasks only prolongs the completion of the primary task. In our case, that primary task would be reading.

“It may seem quick and somewhat harmless, but numerous studies have indicated that trying to switch back and forth between two tasks results in more errors and has the overall effect of taking longer to complete the main task,” Elliott said. “Thus, put simply, do not multitask.”

After considering both Elliott and Mark’s perspectives, there appears to be one core solution that fuels the others. Getting more sleep, putting the phone away, and limiting             social media are great ways to combat distraction. 

Although remaining consistent with any of these actions is impossible without a deep-rooted resolve to change the way you live.

If reading is important to you, along with your ability to focus, begin making decisions grounded in your inner strength. Set a standard for yourself that you can maintain through self-discipline. 

Make promises to yourself that you are certain you can fulfill — no matter how small.

If you go from reading no books last year to five books this year, that’s progress. No matter your schedule, it’s possible.

Be gentle with yourself, and little by little, you will discover that your attention span is, in fact, still there. Focus, like a muscle, can be strengthened with consistent exercise. 

One day at a time.

Let’s read more books this year.