Why a digital detox won’t reset your attention span with Gloria Mark

Why a digital detox won’t reset your attention span with Gloria Mark

From ReThinking by TED

June 9, 2026 · 43 min

About this episode

Gloria Mark discusses the impact of digital media on attention spans and offers insights on improving concentration.

Many people report that their attention spans have diminished—but what if you can rebuild your concentration skills? Gloria Mark is a professor of informatics at UC Irvine who studies the impact of digital media on people’s lives. In this episode, Gloria joins Adam to dig into her research on multitasking, interruptions, and focus, sharing insights on why we’re so easily distracted and how to train your brain to improve concentration. Gloria also answers a question from historian Daniel Immerwahr, a past Re:Thinking guest, and makes the case for moderation as a more effective prescription than a full digital detox. Featured guest Follow Gloria Mark on LinkedIn , and https://gloriamark.com/ Buy Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity Connect with the team Follow Adam on Instagram , LinkedIn , and at adamgrant.net/ Subscribe to Adam’s substack Granted Watch ReThinking videos on YouTube at TEDAudioCollective Follow TED on X , Instagram , Facebook , LinkedIn , and TikTok ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard . Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive…

People in this episode

Host: Adam Grant

Guest: Gloria Mark

Topics covered

  • digital detox
  • attention span
  • multitasking
  • concentration
  • distraction
  • moderation

Keywords

  • digital detox
  • attention span
  • concentration skills
  • multitasking
  • distractions
  • moderation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UC Irvine, TED, Cosmic Standard

Products: Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity

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