Description

The length of an individual’s attention span has received increasing amounts of attention in the last several years. This is partly due to fear that younger generations, particularly millennials or so-called digital natives, spend too much time on their mobile phones and other devices, and not enough time focused on other endeavours, including training, work assignments and academic pursuits.

Research shows not only that almost-uninterrupted attention to personal digital devices may have adverse effects on cognitive performance on non-screen tasks, but also that unsafe behaviours occur in all demographic groups.

In the commercial air transport environment, aviation regulations have been introduced to prohibit the use of personal electronic devices by many safety-critical employees.

Attention span is relevant to all generations of aviation professionals in the following ways: