Kids today do not seem to be less attentive or unable to concentrate than those of thirty years ago, based on this study.
Which makes more sense than the idea that "video games hurt kids abilities to pay attention," because, damn, have you ever watched a kid playing on their DX?
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Neuroskeptic: Kids Today Are Not Inattentive
The study gave a large sample of kids the "Gordon Diagnostic System" GDS test of sustained concentration ability. This dates to the 80s and it consists of a box, with a button, and a display with thre…
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As a high school teacher, this has been my subjective experience. I don't feel that my students are less attentive than I or my peers where back in the 80s.
This is really interesting and makes me wonder if maybe the real reason why adults perceive children to be less focused than they used to be is that adults today are less patient or less aware of time passing than they used to be.
That's possible, +Andrew Eva. My guess is that the distractions of today are greater as perceived by adults, and that adults are being called upon more to multi-task (which humans in general, and people as they get older in particular, are poor at doing), and thus they project their own distractedness on kids.
Really is interesting how our perception defines our realities. I bet +Holly Eva would enjoy this article as well…