Juttukonda Goutham
On a humid Monday afternoon, 17-year-old Shravani opens her phone “just to check Instagram.” An hour later, she realises she has scrolled through 200 reels, liked dozens of posts and saved none. “I don’t even remember what I watched,” she admits. Shravani not alone. Experts warn that social media’s infinite scroll and bite-sized videos are slowly eroding our ability to focus.
According to a recent study by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), the average attention span among Indian teenagers has dropped to just 47 seconds before switching tasks, a sharp decline from the 2–3 minutes recorded in 2005. Globally too, Microsoft’s earlier research pegged the average human attention span at 8 seconds—less than that of a goldfish.
“Constant notifications and the design of apps like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts push our brain into a cycle of instant gratification,” says Dr. Arvind Kulkarni, a Bengaluru-based neurologist. “We are training ourselves to crave novelty every few seconds, and the brain’s ability to process information deeply is diminishing.”
This has direct consequences in classrooms and workplaces. A 2024 survey by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) revealed that 61% of college students struggled to complete assignments without checking their phones at least five times. Teachers report that students lose focus after 10–12 minutes of a lecture. “Even reading two pages of a textbook feels like a chore,” says Delhi University professor Meenakshi Iyer.
The impact is not restricted to students. Corporates report a rising need for “micro-meetings” and “compressed communication.” A Hyderabad-based IT firm told that employees find it challenging to sit through hour-long strategy discussions without drifting to their phones.
Psychologists call the phenomenon “popcorn brain”—a restless mental state fuelled by multitasking and digital overload. Over time, it can impair memory, emotional regulation and productivity. “We are not designed to process a thousand stimuli at once,” says Dr. Shweta Menon, a clinical psychologist in Mumbai.
Some states are beginning to respond. Maharashtra’s education department is piloting phone-free classrooms in 150 schools. Kerala is training teachers in mindfulness-based teaching techniques. Parents, too, are adopting screen-time limits and encouraging outdoor play.
Experts recommend simple solutions: turning off notifications, practicing the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break) and taking digital detoxes. “Attention is like a muscle,” says Dr. Kulkarni. “If we do not exercise it, we will lose it.”
As Shravani shuts her phone, she promises herself to read a book. Ten minutes later, the screen lights up with a ping. “Just one more scroll,” she whispers.