Testing the Technology Related Attention Decline hypothesis

Is our digital age eroding our ability to concentrate? With email, smartphones, and social media becoming ever more pervasive, concerns are mounting about the impact of constant digital distractions on our attention. Despite widespread speculation—50% of the UK public believes their attention spans are now shorter (The Policy Institute, 2022)—there is a striking lack of empirical evidence to confirm or refute this Technology-Related Attention Decline (TRAD) hypothesis.The TRAD hypothesis posits that increased engagement with internet technologies leads to measurable declines in core cognitive abilities related to attention, such as the capacity to direct, sustain, and control focus. This project will be the first to rigorously test this hypothesis through two interconnected work packages: (I) examining historical trends to determine whether average attentional abilities have declined over recent decades, and (II) investigating whether individuals who engage more frequently and for longer durations with digital technologies exhibit poorer attentional abilities.Importantly, we will employ validated task-based measures of attention—rather than relying on self-reports known to be biased—to obtain objective data on cognitive performance. Leveraging interdisciplinary expertise from cognitive psychology, data science, and statistics, we will analyze existing datasets, collect novel longitudinal data, and conduct intervention studies. The outcomes will not only advance our understanding of how technological and behavioral shifts impact cognitive functions but also provide actionable strategies for educators, technology designers, mental health professionals, and policymakers to mitigate potential negative effects on attention in the digital age.