Adapting to a somewhat regular school year after the past two crazy years has surely been a struggle for us all. Whether we know it or not, moving forward and attempting to return to a new-normal has been an adjustment we have spent this past year making. Fully returning back to school this year was certainly different from years in the past. Having all gone through the pandemic and facing new experiences, the attention span of students seems to have changed drastically. 

At the beginning of the pandemic, when students were sent home to face a new method of learning virtually, there were definitely some challenges. Having homes transformed into  classrooms came with many distractions. It seems that, because of this, many students seem to find their attention spans to be altered this year. Whether this means having a better ability to focus or struggling to pay attention in class, it appears that many students have felt this change. Having a longer attention span can be very beneficial for students who need to stay on task for hours at a time. Unfortunately, some have reported their attention span has been weakened upon returning to school. 

During a brief interview with sophomore, Kiley Aschenbach, she shed some light on why she personally believes her attention span has weakened this year:

“My attention span has gotten so bad and I think it is because I was so drawn to every piece of technology I had during the last two years, so it feels weird to learn in person. My phone isn’t necessarily a distraction, but I can’t sit still for a long time in class without being distracted or losing focus.”

However, sophomore Anika Sekar reported just the opposite: “My attention span has increased since coming back. It is easier for me to pay attention in school than being online. I got distracted more at home.”

With different students having different views on the issue, it is clear that the attention span of students surely varies, but was altered for most of us.