The Attention Span of Modern Humans

A comic reckoning about my phone use

I’ve been breaking a lot of my personal rules around phone use lately.

One of my mainstays was once, “No walking and texting.” Sadly, I’ve been in breach of contract a lot. I’m noticing how activities that were once technology free are now so often unnecessarily interrupted. I pay much less attention and notice less about the details of life and those immediately around me.

This is a loss, I think. I drew this comic from memory, observed from a couple brief moments when I wasn’t looking at my phone. And then, I looked at my phone and the moment ended. Alas.

In reflection, I want some of my attention span back. I want to notice life as it is happening. I don’t want to sleepwalk through how much modern technologies interrupt the moments that make us more human.

Thanks for pausing to read this and pardon the interruption.

Do you have technology rules for yourself too? What are some strategies you use to reclaim your time and attention?

Art description: 5-panel comic strip about smart phone addiction and how it impacts human attention spans. Panels illustrate a cartoon girl with a bun observing activities in daily life that compete with smart phones for our undivided attention, like reading a book, walking a dog, or just plain walking. Titled "The Attention Span of Modern Humans." Original art by Connie Sun, 2026.

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