Lack of concentration that demands our full attention

As snooker gets a fast-paced makeover, Carla Gray asks if our attention spans are becoming worryingly short

IN a world full of distractions it's hardly surprising that holding someone's attention is an increasingly difficult task.

If you find that you're having trouble staying on task then you're not alone. There are plenty of examples of a world that's catering to a population with an ever-decreasing attention span.

The most recent is the launch of Power Snooker. In the spirit of Twenty20 Cricket, Power Snooker is much shorter than the traditional version - each game lasts 30 minutes and includes a special two-minute "Powerplay" during which every ball potted is awarded double points.

It's just another example of modern society's seemingly unending appetite for stimulation, but should we be worried about where it will lead?

In 2008 a widely-reported study by Lloyds TSB Insurance said that the average attention span had fallen to five minutes, down from 12 minutes in 1998. The study also found that young people were the worst at maintaining concentration, a notion that Professor Timothy Bates, an attention span expert at Edinburgh University, says there is anecdotal evidence to support. However, he disagrees with the popular notion that it's an increase in internet usage and information overload that's making the population unable to focus.

"There are more people competing for our attention now," he says, "(But] newspapers still publish long stories, books are being more frequently published and read than ever before. What's happening is that people want to be presented with something exciting otherwise they'll move on. It's more of a TV form of presentation."

Some studies indicate a dramatic decline in the average person's attention span once they reach their 30s, but Prof Bates argues that there are other influences at play: "Attention spans are affected by personality traits such as an individual's motivation to get a particular task done. Extroverts are more likely to leave things to the last minute and have an intense period of concentration at the end.

"Introverts apply their attention to tasks more evenly over time, although this doesn't mean that they're paying more attention to a particular task."

Another phenomenon that's erupted, certainly among the very busy, and perhaps the more extroverted, is speed dating. Edinburgh-based dating agency EasyDate has been running speed dating events for years, and says it is perfect for those singles with a limited attention span. Marketing manager Sean Wood says three minutes is all you need to know whether you're attracted to someone.

"Dating is a very visual thing, there's an instant attraction," he said."You need to focus, because if you drift away in front of someone you're not going to have a lot of success."

One age group with a notoriously short attention span is young children, who are being introduced to new technologies from a younger age. With gaming consoles offering games suitable for children from the age of three, the interest and dependence on technology to engage with young children is unlikely to disappear.

Michelle McLeary has been working in early childhood education in Edinburgh for 16 years and is the group manager for Little Flyers nurseries. She thinks no nursery is complete without a digital camera, computer and ideally a Nintendo Wii. Although there's been no recognisable changes in the concentration levels of nursery-aged children in recent years, she does admit that the use of technology could be stifling the development of children's imagination.

"If you give them some sticks and a hula hoop they might sit there for a bit and wonder how to make an XBox out of it," she jokes. "Some nurseries have made a decision to shift back to basics in order to get children to develop their skills and encourage them to learn through play but children have a real interest in technology."

While the imagination of the very young may be taking a battering, the good news is that there's still hope for those who are interested in increasing their attention spans. Prof Bates said it all boils down to developing a new habit for concentrating on a task: "If you have a reward you should lock it away in the filing cabinet. You give they key to a colleague who only gives it back to you when you've completed a particular task or piece of work."

He promises it only takes a couple of months of dedication, perhaps something that's easier said than done.