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attention span
noun
: the length of time during which one (such as an individual or a group) is able to concentrate or remain interested
Examples of attention span in a Sentence
people with short attention spans
Recent Examples on the Web
Peso describes himself as an active kid with a short attention span, obsessed with soccer and Spider-Man.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024
Given on paper for 98 years, the SAT was updated to reflect the experience of a generation raised in an era of higher anxiety, challenged attention spans and remote learning.
—Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
My son was three and had an attention span of five minutes.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024
With different narrators lending their voices across various editions, How It's Made offers digestible nuggets of knowledge that would please the shortest of attention spans.
—Briana Richert, James Mercadante, EW.com, 19 Feb. 2024
Bite-sized modules that cater to short attention spans and allow for flexible learning schedules will become even more popular, especially for skill development.
—Oleksandr Mykolaienko, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Swift traffics in numbers beyond comprehension – a tour that generates $1 billion in domestic ticket sales, a clean sweep of Billboard’s Top 5, a 10-minute song topping the chart in an era of TikTok attention spans – but her greatest feat may arrive on Super Bowl Sunday.
—Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024
Contrary to conventional wisdom about kids’ waning attention spans, Nolan’s three-hour epic turned out to fit right in with Gen Z’s always-scrolling viewing habits.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
In recent months, Instagram has become inundated with previews of short addictive dramas — soap operas for users with limited attention spans.
—Mike Isaac, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'attention span.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1903, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near attention span
Cite this Entry
“Attention span.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attention%20span. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.
Kids Definition
attention span
noun
: the length of time during which one is able to concentrate or remain interested
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