A recent study by Microsoft has uncovered the surprising fact that humans now have a shorter attention span than goldfish do. According to the study, the average human attention span has decreased from 12 seconds to 8 seconds since 2000. Goldfish, meanwhile, have an attention span of 9 seconds. To many, it is very surprising that the notoriously uninterested goldfish can pay attention for a longer period of time than humans can, even if it is only a matter of one second. 

 Although it is true that the average human attention span has decreased below that of a goldfish, our ability to multitask has increased dramatically. According to the Microsoft research report, 67% of people surveyed believe that multi-tasking is the only way they can get things done. Even though the attention span of humans is decreasing, the ability to multitask has increased to the point where 2 out of every 3 people feel they are more efficient at getting work done when they multitask. There are definite advantages to being able to multitask, especially because the modern workforce is often shuffling between various forms of work and family. Versatility in multitasking allows people to move freely between tasks to get more things done in a shorter period of time. Thus, being able to multitask is essential in the modern day. Without this ability, humans would be forced to allot time for doing one thing at a time, thus dramatically decreasing productivity.
   

 Additionally, a shorter attention span does have its advantages. Best-selling author, Dr. Isaiah Hankel, writes on his website that people with shorter attention spans, "choose to only pay attention to the things that matter to them the most." In doing so, those with shorter attention spans increase efficiency and decrease the likelihood that they will be sidetracked and distracted. Hankel also writes that, "People who pay attention to everyone and everything have a disability. They get locked in on one way of doing things and constantly find themselves trapped in dead end positions..." Clearly, according to Hankel, shorter attention spans increase a person's ability to move between different ideas and welcome change. Longer attention spans are detriments because they force people to pay attention to everything and are therefore more time costly. People with shorter attention spans are able to adapt in a fast-moving world and can get rid of what is unimportant to make room for what is important in the future. Thus, a shorter attention span could be seen as a beneficial adaptation in humans because it could increase productivity, decrease distractions, and help people keep up with the changing modern world.
     

Yet, at the same time, there are disadvantages to a shorter attention span in humans. PhD David Greenfield tells Yahoo Health, in an article by Korin Miller, that the Internet and its highly stimulating colors, sound, and movements can cause non-digital life to become more dull and boring for humans. This would explain other findings of the Microsoft study, such as that 77% of 18-24-year-olds reach for their phone when they're bored and 52% of them check their phones every 30 minutes. An increased dependence on technology, especially for the younger generation, is dangerous because it devalues physical conversations and intellectual thought in favor of quick text messages and the visually stimulating Internet. With a shorter attention span, humans could get bored more quickly and resort to their smartphones as relief. This could create distractions that are hard to overcome, mainly because the bright colors found on visually appealing smartphones are often found to be more interesting than philosophizing and reading long novels.
     

Finally, there are both advantages and disadvantages to the newfound reality of shortening human attention spans. For one, our increasing ability to multitask can be seen as a beneficial asset in the fast-moving modern world, and a shorter attention span enables humans to be more productive in work and more versatile. Yet, no matter if a shorter attention span should be regarded as a positive or negative, it is the reality. At the very least, being able to read this article through should be considered a small achievement, especially if you did so without reaching for your smartphone.