“Pay attention!” It seems like a simple admonition, but in a world replete with distractions, maintaining focus is easier said than done.
The data paints a picture of a distracted population: In a recent national survey, only 25% of survey respondents said they don’t struggle with attention span.
Desperately seeking solutions
The average human attention span has reportedly dropped to approximately eight seconds—less time than it took you to read to this point of the article. Our workdays are “chaotic and fragmented.” The ability to multi-task might actually be a myth. Gen Z—dubbed the distracted generation—is fighting back by “locking in.”
These widespread struggles around focusing are often attributed to how frequently we reach for our respective devices. But paradoxically, a new generation of tech tools could actually hold a key to helping people focus. This emerging class of wearable devices leverages physical touch sensations—called haptic feedback—vibrating at scheduled intervals to remind people to stay on-task without adding more visual or auditory stimuli to the environment.
‘Attention anchors’ in a sea of distraction
What makes this type of wearable device especially intriguing is the potential to promote “flow state,” the coveted mental space where we’re fully immersed in our work and experiencing the pinnacle of focused productivity and engaged creativity.
There is some emerging research to support the effectiveness of wearables that utilize subtle haptic feedback. A study in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement found that it could help users spot when their attention was drifting, before they were fully distracted from their focused work. Rather than adding another distraction, these gentle physical prompts serve as “attention anchors,” keeping users tied to their primary task.
Specific wearable device solutions are also being explored to address focus and attention challenges, with the idea of transforming a smartwatch to an educational technology device that is customized for one purpose. And recent research into the efficacy of wearable technology in supporting mindfulness and improving focus has shown promising results.
As our world grows increasingly complex, strategies that support cognitive function and promote focus will become even more essential. And wearable technology promises to play a key role—not as another source of distraction, but as a potential tool to help with sustained attention.
To learn more about Samsung’s wearable device solutions, please click here.
