YOUR ATTENTION SPAN IS SHRINKING — DATA OVERLOAD TO BLAME

Sat 05 September 2026:

Researchers warn that endless scrolling, short videos and compulsive phone checking may overload the mind with excessive ‘data calories’

Researchers are warning about a growing pattern they call “digital obesity”, in which people consume excessive amounts of digital content through endless social media scrolling, short-video viewing and repeated phone checking.

The concept describes the mental burden associated with consuming more online information and entertainment than necessary, particularly when the behaviour becomes uncontrolled or aimless.

Researchers say constant exposure to rapidly changing content can make it more difficult to concentrate on one subject, engage in deep thinking and connect information effectively.

Short-form videos are of particular concern because they continuously introduce new stimuli and may make activities requiring sustained attention feel increasingly difficult.

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Aimless Consumption Is the Key Concern

Haldun Narmanlioglu, a faculty member at Marmara University’s Faculty of Communication in Istanbul, compared digital obesity with the discomfort caused by consuming too much varied food.

He said information overload, once largely associated with news consumption, now extends across almost every form of digital content.

‘Let us call this “data calories. Just as excess calories in the body create sluggishness, restrict movement and damage health, “data calories” affect our minds. They paralyze our ability to make quick decisions, think deeply and think analytically,” Narmanlioglu said, adding that digital obesity has become a significant issue affecting mental processes and perception.

According to Narmanlioglu, rapidly consumed videos and social media posts stimulate the brain’s reward system and can encourage what he described as “effortless dopamine” release, potentially contributing to shorter attention spans.

However, he stressed that using digital technology for work does not automatically constitute digital obesity when usage is controlled and appropriate working conditions are maintained.

The critical distinction, he said, is aimless consumption rather than necessary professional use.

Narmanlioglu also pointed to physical consequences associated with prolonged screen exposure, including dry eyes, insomnia, neck problems and poor posture.

He recommended maintaining a more deliberate approach to digital content, including silencing phones, disabling unnecessary notifications, keeping devices outside bedrooms and putting phones away during social interactions.

Attention Span Concerns

Oguz Gulleb, a research assistant at Marmara University’s Faculty of Communication, said the concept of digital obesity developed alongside the expansion of social media and internet use.

He compared excessive digital content consumption with junk food, saying it can have both physical and psychological consequences.

“Physiologically, it can result in posture disorders, weight gain and eye problems. Psychologically, it shows early signs that can precede digital addiction, including impulsive urges to pick up the phone in situations where it should not be used. In particular, among young people whose brains are still developing, the dopamine released during rapid consumption reinforces the idea that consuming quickly leads to happiness. A study from 2004 found attention span was over two minutes; today it has fallen to 47 seconds,” he said.

Gulleb identified immediately checking a phone after waking up and reaching for a device while waiting at traffic lights as possible signs of excessive digital consumption.

He stressed that digital obesity is not a medical diagnosis. Unlike digital addiction, which can involve anxiety and stress and may be treated as a clinical condition, digital obesity is a concept used in research literature to describe problematic patterns of consumption.

Young People Particularly Vulnerable

Gulleb said digital consumption patterns can differ according to age and gender. He cited a European study indicating that 44 percent of 13-year-old girls showed problematic social media use associated with peer acceptance, compared with 17 percent of boys displaying problematic gaming behaviour connected to reward mechanisms.

He recommended that people avoid digital screens for at least the first 30 minutes after waking, using that time instead for breakfast, family interaction or personal reflection.

Another strategy is to remove social media shortcuts from smartphone home screens. Making apps slightly less accessible, he said, can help reduce impulsive checking.

Researchers argue that the goal is not to eliminate technology from everyday life, but to encourage more conscious and purposeful digital consumption, particularly as short-form content increasingly competes for people’s attention.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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