How are AI algorithms impacting our attention span? A mental health crisis we can’t ignore
For years, I joked about that tired old goldfish comparison. Who has the longer attention span? Me or the goldfish? Spoiler: the goldfish wins. But lately, the conversation around our shrinking attention span has taken a far more serious turn. And it’s not just about distraction anymore—it’s about mental health, identity, and how AI algorithms are shaping the way we think.
Hi, I’m Bianca Raby: educator, CEO, and someone who cares deeply about the intersection of tech and humanity. I’ve been diving into Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation, and I’ve seen his research mirrored in the children and teens in my own life. The rising tide of anxiety and mental health issues? The social withdrawal? It’s not a mystery, it’s the predictable outcome of a system driven by AI algorithms that’s built to hijack our attention span.
How this impacts our attention span and mental health
But here’s what Haidt now admits: he may have underestimated the real damage. It’s not just about screen time. It’s about the destruction of deep focus. And that collapse of focus is intricately tied to our collective mental health.
While we’ve been blaming smartphones and social media, another layer has crept in: AI algorithms.
These tools aren’t just feeding us content. They’re finishing our thoughts, curating our choices, and outsourcing our very cognition. From Gmail suggestions to TikTok’s eerily accurate feed, AI algorithms now predict what we’ll want before we do. And that’s changing the way our brains function.
When we no longer practice sustained focus, our attention span shortens. And as our attention span erodes, so does our ability to think deeply, feel fully, and make meaningful decisions—critical elements of our mental health.
Humans vs the AI algorithms
I feel it too. I used to read for hours. Now, three pages into a physical book, I’m reaching for my phone. I’m trained to crave the dopamine hit that AI algorithms so effectively deliver.
So let’s be honest, it’s not just kids.
Adults are just as tangled in this mess. You pick up your phone to check the time… 40 minutes later, you’re in a scroll hole, wondering what just happened. The fragmentation of attention is a design feature, not a bug. And that fragmentation is impacting mental health at scale.
What I’ve realised is that I wasn’t bored by the book, I was uncomfortable with how it challenged my attention span. I don’t want to be distracted, I’m just trained to be.
This is an issue of mental health awareness. It’s about setting boundaries with AI algorithms, building intentional habits, and protecting the foundation of your mental health.
And remember: you’re not broken. You’re human.
If this resonated, let me know your go-to strategy for staying present.
Thank you for your most valuable gift in the time of AI algorithms: your attention.
Until next time, stay awesome.