Diminishing Attention Span and the Writer’s Remedy!

Anyone else ever get sucked into a social media black hole? You spend what feels like hours consuming content, but you can’t recall a single detail afterwards. It’s hard to deny the difference after spending too long scrolling. Maybe you’ve experienced it too, or maybe not. But I just wanted to bring up something that might resonate with many of you.

We’ve all noticed how our attention spans seem to be dwindling, right? It’s a constant battle for our attention. Everyone is vying for our attention. Working so hard to snag our attention in just a few seconds.

Think about it: When you’re mindlessly scrolling, how long does it take to swipe to the next thing? About 7 or 8 seconds, right? And if it really catches your interest, maybe you’ll watch for about 30 seconds. But let’s be real for a second. How many IG reels or YT shorts actually hold our attention for more than a couple of minutes? Very few!

Those things loads us with heck of an information. But how much of it actually sticks? In those first 15 seconds, you’re hit with a wave of content, and then it’s onto the next thing. Thanks to algorithms, it’s all random, making it hard to remember what you’ve seen.

Last week, I found myself in this exact situation. Stuck in a mindless scrolling loop on Instagram? Sure, I saw some interesting stuff too. Marketing tips, ocean clean-up efforts, even a TED Talk snippet and many more. But none of it truly stuck.

Scrolling isn’t bad either, but it can affect your ability to recollect information. So scroll, when you have to kill the time with something.

So, I decided to change things up and reintroduce a habit: reading before bed. Maybe it was inspired by a movie (Perfect Days) I watched or just a desire to reignite my love for books.

Either way, I picked up a book I’d read before and committed to reading for 15 to 20 minutes each night.

Even then, distractions crept in. It wasn’t perfect. The urge to jump on Twitter or research something mentioned in the book was strong. But gradually, I am improving my focus.

Here’s the takeaway! Especially for fellow writers or anyone trying to gather their thoughts. Read, Read and Read. The more you read, the clearer your ideas become.

If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. – Stephen King

Ultimately, the foundation for writing lies in reading. I recall a tweet (though I can’t remember the source, whether it was Sam Altman or someone else). It was about the importance of deep knowledge to condense a topic into a short video.

This makes perfect sense. If you want to create a 30-second reel on any topic, you need to understand its basics. Whether you’re crafting a 30-second reel or writing an article, understanding the subject matter is key. It all starts with reading.

So, let’s add “read more” to our writing toolbox! It’s a simple tip, but easily forgotten amidst the chaos of our daily lives.

Cheers!

Happy reading, and happy writing!

If you like what you see and wish to support my work, then

Share your thoughts at the comment section or mail at

randomwhyss[@]gmail.com

Don’t miss out! Get notified about new blog posts straight to your inbox !  

(No spam, pinky promise!)

Enter your email below to receive updates.