Struggling to concentrate? ‘Popcorn brain’ could be behind your dwindling attention span
DO you struggle to concentrate and find you can’t focus your mind on a task for more than a few minutes?
You could be suffering from what’s known as “popcorn brain”.
It sounds made up, but psychologists say it’s a real thing – and it’s becoming increasingly common.
“It refers to the tendency for our attention and focus to jump quickly from one thing to another,” Dr Daniel Glazer, a clinical psychologist at University College Hospital, told Metro.
The term was coined by Dr David Levy, a professor at the University of Washington’s Information School.
It describes the brain becoming so hooked on multi-tasking and the digital world – the constant scrolling, the ‘ping’ of new notifications, the huge web tabs open, and the incessant adverts – that it begins to mimic that frenzy.
Intertwining thoughts begin to explode every which way – just like the inside of a bag of microwavable popcorn.
As a result, the slower pace of life offline starts to feel a little dull.
“Activities requiring sustained concentration, like reading, work projects or in-person conversations, became more difficult,” Dr Glazer said.
Popcorn brain can trigger difficulty concentrating or getting easily distracted, restlessness and problems managing time effectively.
Some sufferers also report eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain as many also have computer vision syndrome (CVS), or digital eye strain.
Unsurprisingly, social media is largely to blame.
Studies show that consistent use of phones, computers and sites like Instagram have a “profound effect” on our attention spans.
One, published in Scientific Reports, found the mere presence of a smartphone reduces cognitive performance.
Scientists discovered that when asked to complete a test of concentration while near their mobile phone, participants scored significantly lower than when they kept it switched off and covered up or outside the room.
A second, by Stanford University, determined that switching our attention between social media, smartphones and tablets, as well as TV and radio, harms our ability to complete simple tasks.
And a 2022 survey by King’s College London revealed half of UK adults think their attention spans are getting shorter.
This appears to be true.
Some 20 years ago, Brits could last two and a half minutes before their focus shifted to something new.
Repeat experiments show that today, this has gone down to about 47 seconds.
When we receive new information or notifications, it triggers a small dopamine release, rewarding our brain and encouraging us to continue this cycle of seeking and receiving new stimuli
Dannielle Haig
Dr Gloria Mark, a psychologist at the University of California, said: “This is alarming. But it does not mean we are doomed to live unfocused lives.
“We are experiencing a fundamental shift in how we think, how we work, how we focus, and how we achieve fulfilment.
“We can all feel it — in our burnout, Zoom fatigue, endless notifications, and our inability to maintain our attention.
“Technology has been designed with the intent to augment our capabilities and help us produce more, but we are also distracted and exhausted in our everyday use with it.
“It might feel like we are losing our ability to focus entirely, but there is some good news.
“Our ability to focus isn’t lost, the way we focus is just changing.”
Why is this?
Spending time in the fast-paced online world gives us consistent stimulation.
“Platforms and social media sites use algorithms that feed us a constant stream of information, notifications, and entertainment, all tailored to our interests and behaviours,” psychologist Dannielle Haig said while speaking to Glamour.
From this, we get small hits of dopamine – the neurotransmitter that helps us feel pleasure – which leaves us wanting more.
It then gets pretty tricky to break the cycle, so we go round and round.
Dannielle said: “This can lead to overstimulation of the brain’s reward system.
“When we receive new information or notifications, it triggers a small dopamine release, rewarding our brain and encouraging us to continue this cycle of seeking and receiving new stimuli.”
So we’re literally teaching ourselves not to concentrate on any one thing for too long and to expect quick rewards.
And if we don’t get them? We move onto the next thing – bouncing (or popping) speedily between tasks.
Horrifying social media statistics
- Half of parents believe their child is addicted to their smartphone (ComRes)
- Teenagers who spend five or more hours a day online are 71 per cent more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those who only spend one hour (Clinical Psychological Science)
- More than a third of young people spend more time online than socialising with friends in person (Deloitte)
- Some 66 per cent of people show signs of nomophobia – the fear of being without your phone (Psychology Today)
- The average smartphone owner will click, tap or swipe their phone 2,617 times a day (Dscout)
- The average person spends five and a half years of their lives on social media (Mediakix)
How often do you think you unlock your phone each day?
The KCL study found Brits think they do it 25 times on average, but in reality, it’s more like 150.
And other research shows it could be as many as 2,617 for a moderate user.
Long-term, this is completely changing the way our brains work.
“Research is ongoing, but there is evidence to suggest that prolonged exposure to highly stimulating digital environments can influence cognitive functions,” Dannielle said.
This makes us unable to engage deeply and thoughtfully with anything, which could wreak havoc on learning, memory, social interactions, productivity, anxiety and stress levels, and the way we regulate emotion, she added.
In fact, stress levels appear to be at a record high.
Speaking on the podcast the Diary Of A CEO, Dr Aditi Nerurkar, a lecturer on global health at Harvard Medical School, said: “We are seeing unprecedented levels of stress in the world.
“It is affecting every single industry and no country, age group or race [is exempt] – it is the great equaliser, now more than ever.
“Most of us check our phones 2,617 times a day – that is the average.
“And popcorn brain is an affliction that nearly every single person has right now.”
Popcorn brain refers to the tendency for our attention and focus to jump quickly from one thing to another
Dr Daniel Glazer
She added: “Think about what you do when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store.
“You’re not just letting your brain wonder, pondering things, you are on your phone.
“What are you doing at the bank? On your phone. At the car wash? At a traffic light? Pedestrians crossing the street?
“We check our phones in the morning, we check them at night.
“The moment we wake up, we are scrolling.”
How to regain focus
In 2024, it’s almost impossible to avoid digital content altogether.
But according to experts, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk of popcorn brain and regain focus. This includes:
- Admitting you have a problem
- Scheduling regular periods away from digital devices
- Focusing on single tasks instead of trying to multitask – both online and offline
- Scrolling with purpose – to get informed rather than for mindless time-wasting
- Creating physical distance – try keeping your phone away from you when you’re busy and sleeping with it in a different room
- Mindfulness and meditation
- Spending time outdoors
- Engaging in hobbies and physical activity
- Setting specific times for online tasks like checking emails and social media – try using a timer
Dr Nerurkar said: “The goal here is to reconsider your relationship with your phone.
“It is not about abstinence – we’re not trying to become monks here – it’s about creating digital boundaries.
“In every relationship in your life, you have boundaries, so why don’t we have boundaries when it comes with our phones?”