Headline Culture and Gen-Z’s shrinking attention span

Sienna Miller | Head Editor

January 23, 2025

It’s obvious that attention span is continuously shrinking, especially among Generation Z. With an information overload in social media at an all-time high, kids’ attention span has shrunk to 8 seconds from 12 in the year 2000 according to a study from Microsoft. This dramatic shift in how we consume content has major implications, especially with regard to how we process news.

Senior Elora Aguliar said she “can’t even watch a good movie anymore without getting bored. It’s always way too long and [she] always finds [herself] scrolling on her phone 10 minutes in.”

One major factor contributing to this issue is how the media covered Donald Trump during his presidency. His time in office was a constant stream of headlines—whether it was a Twitter outburst controversial or policy there was always something to look at. 

Because Gen-Z grew up with smartphones, this fast-paced environment feels like second nature. We’re used to scrolling, swiping, and skimming through a constant flow of updates, often just glancing at the headline before moving on. It’s easy to get caught in this cycle because in reality who has the time to read every story when new, attention-grabbing headlines are always one click away?

During the next four years, just like his prior presidency, the media will likely focus on his every move and serious global issues, like global warming or the major wars in eastern countries will get lost. Instead of reflecting on the many complex issues of our world today, the most dramatic headlines always become the most consumed. With platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, where everything is condensed into clickable content, it’s no surprise that attention spans getting shorter.

“Honestly I never read or watch the news,” said San Clemente High School senior Cora Gehret. “I find all my information on TikTok I have no idea if what I’m reading is true.”

There’s a lack of depth to each one of these huge platforms, which means not getting the full context of an important issue. Rather than being thoughtful, people tend to react in real-time to whatever’s trending. We need to acknowledge this disadvantage and take a step back to understand the full picture. Even with news reaching us quicker than ever, do not allow both the attention and knowledge to be lost in the chaos of our country.