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When was the last time that you had an entire day completely free from digital distractions?

No text messages, no email notifications, no social media, and no aimless internet browsing.

It might be hard to think of the last time you even had a tech-free hour.

These days, most of us live our lives tethered to our computers and our smartphones,

which are unending sources of distraction.

Sometimes it can feel impossible to concentrate deeply on anything for any significant length of time.

And indeed, researchers have found evidence that over the past couple of decades, people's attention spans have shrunk considerably.

So how has the rise of the internet and digital devices affected our ability to focus and pay attention.

What does it mean to pay attention to something anyway?

When you're being bombarded by different tasks, notifications, and emails, is it possible to

multitask and deal with them all effectively?

Or is productive multitasking a myth?

How can understanding the science of attention help us to regain our focus when we need it,

to improve both our productivity and our happiness?

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association

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