In the article ‘Hyper and Deep Attention: The generational Divide in Cognitive Modes’ written by N. Katherin Hayles, we are introduced to the hypothesis that as networked and programmed media develop, people’s cognitive styles have significantly changed. Deep attention refers to the cognitive style that is characterized by concentrating on a single object for a long periods while Hyper attention refers to a cognitive style that is characterized by switching focus rapidly among different tasks. With the education system remaining largely the same, hyper attention is regarded as defective behavior that scarcely qualifies as a cognitive mode at all. If the shift in cognitive styles has been happening, then a group of people wouldn’t be able to fit the criteria.

Personally, I have hyper attention more than deep attention. And all my life, I have been living under the shadow of how deep attention is the preferred and more appreciated by the society and the education system. As a kid, I never liked sitting down and listening to what the adults said, I was always running around and making troubles. Later into early teenagehood, I failed to read and write and just sit in the classroom for the whole day. I was never a well-behaved student as I found what & how they taught was boring. And if I find something boring, I would waste no time on it. But everything became better after I got familiar with technologies. Mobile phones, the Internet, laptops. I found out that with more types of media assisting me, I learned much faster and better, and most of all, I enjoyed the learning. So I started to learn things that I truly loved, and the result was amazing. Then I came to the realization that I could be just as competent as others if I studied in my own way. I acquired many useful skills through multi-media and were very proud of them. But nothing much changed in my academia as the school still chose to teach students in the same old way.