Attention spans are shrinking, but willpower alone won't fix it

A recent article in Il Post examines the decline of sustained attention in the digital age, citing research by psychologist Gloria Mark of Columbia University. Mark found that average focus time on screens dropped from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to 47 seconds after the pandemic. Comedian Mattia Alfieri's Instagram post about preferring to stare into space rather than scroll exemplifies the paradox of instant gratification versus wasted time. The piece argues that tech companies have turned attention into a commodity, using design tricks to keep users engaged. Johann Hari's book "Stolen Focus" is referenced, claiming that promoting self-control as a solution is a form of "cruel optimism" as defined by cultural critic Lauren Berlant. The article notes that structural changes to business models—subscriptions, public ownership—could reduce incentives for sensationalism, but companies would lose money. It concludes that without economic restructuring, the problem will persist.