My first class and the need for deep attention

Monday 29th of February was many things to me; my first university class, my first media one class, my first lectorial ever – however it wasn’t the first time I have reflected upon my inability to focus.

We covered the topic of ‘deep attention vs hyper attention’; two opposite ends of the pole. To summarise – deep attention is a state of mind where the individual can focus on a single object for long periods of time, while blocking out all other forms of information. Hyper attention is the cognitive mode where focus is switched rapidly between multiple objects. Upon learning about the two cognitive modes, I immediately identified myself with being more hyper attentive.In theory, hyper attention sounds like the most advantageous of the two. The ability to focus on and complete multiple tasks in a period of time makes it sound as if it were a superpower. I wish it were as simple as that. Speaking personally, I know hyper attention is nothing like that. Continue reading