Special Edition: Why Can't We Focus?
The NewsWorthy
Erica Mandy
4.7 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 25 March 2023
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Research shows all the screens we use each day might be reshaping our brains and shortening our attention spans. Later, I'm speaking to an expert who has spent the last three decades studying how technology impacts our attention and what we may be able to do about it. Dr. Gloria Mark is a psychologist and the University of California's Chancellor Professor of Informatics. Her new book is called "Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity."
But first, we're talking about a medical reason some people struggle to stay on task. The number of people diagnosed with ADHD has gone up in recent years, causing a surge in demand for ADHD prescriptions and now a shortage of drugs like Adderall. Pediatric neurologist Dr. Sarah Cheyette regularly treats ADHD patients and has written three books about the condition, including "ADHD & Me." We'll get into why there's been an uptick in ADHD diagnoses and she shares her top advice for how we can all improve our focus.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today is Saturday, March 25. |
| 0:02.4 | Do you find it kind of hard to focus sometimes? |
| 0:05.0 | It might not be that you're just bored or undisciplined. |
| 0:07.8 | Research shows all the screens we use each day |
| 0:10.6 | might be reshaping our brains and shortening |
| 0:13.6 | our attention spans. |
| 0:15.2 | Later, I'm speaking to an expert who |
| 0:16.8 | has spent the last three decades studying |
| 0:18.4 | how technology impacts our attention |
| 0:20.9 | and what we may be able to do about it. |
| 0:23.5 | But first, we are talking about a medical reason |
| 0:25.8 | some people struggle to stay on task, |
| 0:27.8 | attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, |
| 0:30.2 | also known as ADHD. |
| 0:32.4 | The number of people diagnosed with ADHD |
| 0:34.4 | has gone up in recent years, |
| 0:36.1 | causing a surge in demand for ADHD prescription medications, |
| 0:40.0 | and now a shortage of drugs like Adderall. |
| 0:42.9 | We're hearing insights from pediatric neurologist, |
| 0:45.1 | Dr. Sarah Shayet. |
| 0:46.6 | She regularly treats ADHD patients |
| 0:48.8 | and has written three books about the condition. |
... |
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