Average Attention Span Up To 7.2 Seconds
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009A study released late Friday by online audience stalwart Nielsen NetRatings revealed that the average attention span of US Internet users increased 1.2 seconds to 7.2 seconds, up from a seasonally adjusted average of 6 seconds in January. The increase, credited in large part to more people watching long-form video online, has been lauded by experts as a giant leap forward for online aptitude and general intelligence. “We credit sites like Hulu for the increase,” said lead researcher Dr. Paul Novotny. “More people are watching full episodes of intellectually stimulating shows like America’s Got Talent and Bikini Body Makeover. So their brains are starting to linger longer. In some rare cases, we had average users who could almost complete a rational thought, before they remembered they left the popcorn in the microwave too long.”