If someone could supply me with some tracks for my train of thought that’d be great, thanks.
N. Katherine Hayles has opened my eyes to the proper definition for what I considered to be my own inability to concentrate; Hyper Attention. As soon as I started reading the provided reading on Hyper versus Deep Attention I knew I had found the reason behind why Im no longer able to sit down and read a book in a whole sitting, or why I keep pulling out my phone when Im already on my iPad, as if it will contain an internet thats somehow different and more entertaining.
In the article we read during our first media lectorial it discussed the generational shift between Deep and Hyper attention and the need to change teaching techniques to suit this shift. It really doesn’t surprise me that the younger generation, with media bombarding us from every quarter, all trying to draw our attention, has adapted by shifting the way we think and concentrate. Multitasking has become the norm. I myself have found that I can’t just listen to music, I have to be doing something else as well or I get bored. I normally solve this by either listening to it while I cook, or crochet. I combine two activities that need little concentration so that I feel fully engaged.
Hyper attention seems useful in multitasking, until the point where you take on two many tasks and lose track. It requires moderation, just as Deep attention would. It does no good to be so absorbed in one task you forget the rest.
From a media perspective the idea that newer generations have lower tolerance for boredom and quickly shifting attention would definitely shape how media is formed and directed. Constructing media with audience in mind is key, and knowledge about differences in generations will help inform my decisions going forward.
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