The fight for focus in a world of distraction

Be honest, how many times have you checked your notifications in the last hour? Or opened a new, totally unrelated tab? Or stopped what you're doing even though you really need to do it? Distractions are everywhere. And whether they're self-imposed or coming from our environment, it can be hard to focus. Today, we explore the ramifications of our rapidly shrinking attention spans, debunk some myths about focus, and discuss the art of taking a break. You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode first aired in March 2025. Guests: Dr Emma Fitzgerald  Clinical Neuropsychologist Seb Emma's son and distracted teenager Gloria Mark, PhD Chancellor's Professor Emerita, University of California, Irvine Author, Attention Span Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Senior producer: James Bullen Producer: Rose Kerr Sound engineer: Bella Tropiano To find the transcript for this episode, head to its original webpage. Extra info: Gloria's The Future of Attention substack Smartphones in the nursery: Parental smartphone use and parental sensitivity and responsiveness within parent–child interaction in early childhood (0–5 years): A scoping review Ditching your smartphone won't stop you being distracted, study finds