It can often seem impossible not to be easily distracted by the ping of a smartphone or a crowded inbox.
But adults’ attention spans have actually gotten worse, according to a survey of 2,000 people in the UK.
It found that the typical Briton can only concentrate on a task for an average of just 17 minutes and 10 seconds.
Generation Z fared much worse: Nearly half of 18- to 24-year-olds admitted to being distracted in less than 60 seconds.
This compares to only 7 percent of people over 65 who report this level of mind wandering.
Britons can concentrate on a task for an average of just 17 minutes and 10 seconds. The experts, who questioned more than 2,000 adults, also found that the ability to listen to a partner often only lasts just over 19 minutes.
Fatigue, stress and mobile phone distractions were among the top reasons adults admitted to losing focus, the study, commissioned by Nest, revealed.
Modern life, with constant beeping and buzzing from a host of devices, could also be making Brits’ attention spans even worse.
More than a third (36 percent) of respondents said their attention span had worsened in recent years.
The survey, carried out by pensions company Nest, also found that the average Brits’ ability to listen to their partner often only lasts about 19 minutes.
Fatigue, stress and mobile phone distractions were among the top reasons adults admitted to losing focus, the study, commissioned by Nest, revealed.
Gavin Perera-Betts, chief customer officer at Nest, said: “Constant notifications, social media and instant access to information can affect our ability to concentrate for long periods.
«It’s not just technology that’s to blame: stress and fatigue also play an important role. When we are tired or stressed, we have a hard time staying focused.
‘When we’re tired or stressed, we struggle to stay focused, which makes it even harder to stay focused on a single task.
The survey also found that sorting out finances can only keep us busy for an average of 19 minutes and 49 seconds, and tasks at work only a little longer, 20 minutes and 40 seconds.
Only a fifth (22 percent) said it had improved.
In 2015, Microsoft announced that the average human attention span was just eight seconds, even shorter than that of a goldfish.
But the figure has since been debunked for lack of a “credible source.”
Of those surveyed, 39 percent admitted that they feel compelled to check their phone when they lose interest in something.
While 45 percent jump between tasks and 42 percent let themselves daydream.
