{"id":3409,"date":"2020-01-20T07:00:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-20T12:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/originals\/?p=3409"},"modified":"2021-04-26T14:55:49","modified_gmt":"2021-04-26T18:55:49","slug":"no-dont-attention-span-goldfish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/no-dont-attention-span-goldfish\/","title":{"rendered":"No, You Don\u2019t Have the Attention Span of a Goldfish"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 8<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

For something to become a scientific law, it must be rigorously tested and repeatedly observed. Once it\u2019s established as law, we can count on that phenomenon to occur across all types of conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marketing has its own set of laws: The Four Ps, find your unique selling point, lead with value, focus on the customer, and keep it short, because our attention spans are now shorter than that of a goldfish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of these were developed over decades of trial and error, and most of us rarely question their origin or veracity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there\u2019s a big, scaley problem with one of those supposed \u201claws\u201d I mentioned above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cGoldfish\u201d one; It\u2019s not true. It has no basis. It\u2019s seemingly pulled out of thin air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a load of <\/span>carp<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(See what I did there?)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re unfamiliar, the idea is that the internet is causing our attention spans to shrink, and they\u2019re now only 8 seconds long, which is (supposedly) shorter than a goldfish\u2019s attention span.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This claim, which can be found in reputable publications all over the internet, is built on evidence that is at best shaky, and at worst completely fabricated. It relies on assumptions that cannot be safely made, and falls apart under the most basic observation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about it. If our attention span is really<\/span>\u00a08-seconds, how are Netflix binges a thing<\/a><\/span>? How was the hit of the summer a 45-minute long music video<\/a><\/span>? Why are more<\/span>\u00a0people spending\u00a0longer<\/span>\u00a0hours playing video games<\/a><\/span>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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