The youth are naturally very active. Their attention spans tend to be very short. Although this can be controlled through various simple methods, the proliferation of Information Communication technologies (ICTs) and the freedom and convenience opened up by the media and the internet, have shortened the time teens concentrate on a single issue even further.
Popular distractions for teens
Here are some interesting statistics:
Some 95% of teens ages 12-17 are online, 76% use social networking sites, and 77% have cell phones. Moreover, 96% of those ages 18-29 are internet users, 84% use social networking sites, and 97% have cell phones. Well over half of those in that age cohort have smartphones and 23% own tablet computers like iPads.
The internet
The internet has over the last two decades emerged as a powerful tool for communication, education and entertainment. Young people have easy access to the net especially through their internet-enabled gadgets. It is common today to come across young people surfing the web as they walk, oblivious of the people near them. Even at home, parents often have to shout to be heard.
Music
The same can be said about music. Today, youth find it fashionable to plug gadgets into their ears and listen to favorite music from their phones. While this is a good pastime, it makes communication with such youth harder as they are lost in world of their own. This music is available in various formats making it easy to listen to music anywhere, anytime.
Television
The ubiquitous television cannot be left out when discussing issues that distract young people. Whether it is a daytime movie, a sitcom or a favorite sport that young people are watching, they prefer the action-packed experience to issues like studies that require much more concentration. This is arguably the most affordable and popular distraction for young people.
Consequences of distraction
Duncan Jefferies, writing in The Guardian, says that technology and media are, “creating an easily distracted generation with short attention spans”. The author further opines that concentration spans appear to be declining among students and society in general. This means implies the possibility of poor academic performance for affected youth.
The way forward
While the use of media and the internet is within the jurisdiction and discretion of an individual teenager, society needs to create more wholesome and pragmatic pastimes for them, for example in the realm of conservation of nature and sports.
© EthLeen
