attention span

American  

noun

1. the interval during which an individual can concentrate, as on a single object, idea, or activity.

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Etymology

Origin of attention span

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Pfeifer considers the flip side, too: “It’s possible our attention span is decreasing because we’re having fewer conversations.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

Yes, budgets can be boring, especially to a president with a famously short attention span.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

“Cinema is more resistant to oblivion, and certainly longer-living than the short-lived attention span that the internet offers, while your urgency reaches places our films cannot,” Wenders said.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

"My feeling is that the flood of nonsense, low-quality content generated using AI might further reduce people's attention span," he says.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

“Maribel has a limited attention span and often fiddles with her pencil or other desk supplies during class time.”

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez