In today’s world, we’re constantly surrounded by technology like phones, laptops, and iPads that want our attention, making it hard to focus. This constant need for mental stimulation affects how we pay attention to things. Our brains have an instinct called the “orienting response” that makes us pay special attention to things we see. This instinct evolved to help us stay safe from danger.

The issue is that now, we see new things every few seconds, and we’ve become so used to it that we want it all the time, even when it’s not important. The problem is that we often take our ability to focus for granted. Paying attention is super important because it helps us think and create. But our ability to focus is limited. We get bombarded with lots of information like ads and news all the time, especially those who didn’t grow up with this much information.

Also, we’re doing activities that need a lot of attention less and less. Reading a whole book or doing things like fixing bikes or sewing are becoming less common because we prefer activities happening in our minds. However, attention is really important. It’s the secret to doing well in life. Studies have found that kids who can control their attention do better when they grow up.