{"id":29966,"date":"2026-02-12T14:26:59","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T06:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/?p=29966"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:48:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:48:13","slug":"how-to-build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build Attention, Focus, and Deep Thinking in a Distracted Generation"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"29966\" class=\"elementor elementor-29966\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section data-exad-particle-enable=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8d6499 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default exad-parallax-effect-no exad-background-color-change-no exad-glass-effect-no exad-sticky-section-no\" data-id=\"8d6499\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-72a808ad exad-glass-effect-no exad-sticky-section-no\" data-id=\"72a808ad\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ae82dba elementor-toc--minimized-on-tablet exad-sticky-section-no exad-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"ae82dba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;],&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;No headings were found on this page.&quot;,&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;numbers&quot;,&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of Contents\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__ae82dba\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-down\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__ae82dba\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-up\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__ae82dba\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<i class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f173e7b exad-sticky-section-no exad-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3f173e7b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1><b>How to Build Attention, Focus, and Deep Thinking in a Distracted Generation<\/b><\/h1><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A sixteen-year-old sits down to study. Within three minutes, his phone buzzes. He checks it, just a glance, and twenty minutes later, he&#8217;s deep in a scroll spiral he never intended to start.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We&#8217;re raising the first generation where sustained attention has become difficult. Children aren&#8217;t lacking willpower or discipline. They&#8217;re growing up in an environment specifically engineered to fragment their focus.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.studocu.com\/row\/document\/orta-dogu-teknik-universitesi\/gas-dynamics\/the-distracted-mind-insights-from-gazzaley-rosen-on-tech-impact\/121541391\" rel=\"nofollow\"><b>Larry Rosen on the distracted student mind<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found that the typical student can maintain focus for only three to five minutes before switching to technology-related tasks. That&#8217;s barely enough time to read a single page with comprehension.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So how do we help children reclaim their capacity for focus building and deep thinking? Not by fighting technology, but by deliberately strengthening the mental muscles that extended concentration requires.<\/span><\/p><h2><b>Why Building Focus Has Become So Difficult<\/b><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every app, game, and platform competes for attention using variable reward mechanisms, the same psychological triggers that make slot machines addictive. When a child&#8217;s brain gets accustomed to rapid-fire stimulation and instant feedback, slower activities like reading, reflection, and problem-solving feel uncomfortable by comparison.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neuroscientists call the aftermath &#8220;attention residue.&#8221; Even after switching away from a distraction, part of the mind remains anchored to the previous task. The result? Shallow processing and difficulty engaging with complex material.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attention is trainable. Like any cognitive skill, focus building responds to deliberate practice.<\/span><\/p><h2><b>What are the Practical Strategies for Building Focus\u00a0<\/b><\/h2><h3><b>Create \u201cNo-device\u201d Zones<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research consistently indicates that the mere presence of a smartphone, even when face down and silent, reduces available cognitive capacity. The brain expends energy resisting the temptation to check it.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create &#8220;focus zones&#8221; where devices are physically absent. Not silenced. Not in a pocket. Removed entirely. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0272494422000974\" rel=\"nofollow\"><b>A great amount of research<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> confirms that environmental cues significantly influence our ability to sustain attention, feel emotions, and act positively.<\/span><\/p><h3><b>Try the &#8220;Attention Ladder&#8221; Method<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most focus building techniques assume students can already concentrate for 25 minutes. That&#8217;s unrealistic for children accustomed to constant switching.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead, start where the child actually is. If they can currently focus for five minutes, begin there. Work in five-minute blocks with two-minute breaks. Once that feels comfortable, extend to seven minutes, then ten. The goal isn&#8217;t to eliminate breaks but to progressively stretch the focused intervals. Think of it as building stamina, the same way a runner adds distance gradually over weeks.<\/span><\/p><h3><b>Make Single-Tasking the Default<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Multitasking is a myth. Multitasking is actually rapid task switching, and each switch incurs a cognitive cost. Students who believe they&#8217;re efficiently juggling multiple tasks are actually performing worse on all of them.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teach children to do one thing at a time, completely. Read without music playing. Write without browser tabs open. Eat without screens. These practices feel strange at first precisely because they&#8217;ve become so rare.<\/span><\/p><table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;\"><tbody><tr><td style=\"background-color: #40baec; color: #fff; padding: 10px; text-align: center; border: 1px solid #fff;\"><b>Strategy<\/b><\/td><td style=\"background-color: #40baec; color: #fff; padding: 10px; text-align: center; border: 1px solid #fff;\"><b>What should you do?<\/b><\/td><td style=\"background-color: #40baec; color: #fff; padding: 10px; text-align: center; border: 1px solid #fff;\"><b>When should you adopt?<\/b><\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">No-device zones<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Remove phones and devices entirely from the study area<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">During homework, reading, or any task requiring concentration<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Attention ladder<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Start with short focus blocks (e.g., 5 minutes) and gradually extend them over weeks<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">When you struggle to sit still for longer study sessions<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Single tasking<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Do one activity at a time<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">During all focused tasks<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Reflection questions<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Ask open-ended questions that require introspection<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">During discussions, dinner conversations, or after reading<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Attempting new challenges<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Ruminate on difficult problems longer before seeking help or solutions<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">When you encounter challenging homework or concepts<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Empty time<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Schedule no screen time or planned activities<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Daily, after school, weekends, or before bedtime<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><h2><b>How to Cultivate Deep Thinking<\/b><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deep thinking requires more than maintaining unhindered focus. It requires the willingness to sit with complexity, tolerate indecision, and resist the urge to seek quick answers.<\/span><\/p><h3><b>Let Them Struggle Productively<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When children encounter difficulty, the instinct is to seek solutions immediately. Instead, encourage them to stay with the problem longer. The discomfort of not knowing, when properly supported, builds the mental stamina needed for complex work.<\/span><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/bangalore\/\"><b>International schools in Bangalore<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which follow enquiry-based programmes deliberately create situations where students must work through confusion before reaching clarity. The struggle itself becomes the learning.<\/span><\/p><h3><b>Ask Questions That Can&#8217;t Be Googled<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;What year did the French Revolution begin?&#8221; has a single correct answer that is instantly retrievable. But &#8220;Why do you think revolutions often end up replacing one form of tyranny with another?&#8221; requires synthesis, perspective-taking, and original thought.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exposing children to questions that demand reflection over retrieval builds the neural pathways required for sophisticated thinking.<\/span><\/p><h3><b>Schedule Empty Time<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unstructured time without stimulation is when the brain consolidates learning, makes creative connections, and develops self-awareness. Children who never experience boredom never develop the internal resources to entertain themselves or think independently.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/bangalore\/academics\/ib-middle-years-programme-curriculum\/\"><b>IB MYP courses<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> allocate time for reflective journaling t<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o cultivate deep thinking and introspection. Students learn to process their experiences and not simply accumulate them.<\/span><\/p><h2><b>What Schools Can Do Differently<\/b><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/\"><b>schools in Bangalore, India<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, share a common approach of explicitly teaching metacognition, helping students understand how their own attention works. They create technology-free periods within the school day. They build assessments that reward depth over speed.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most importantly, they normalise the difficulty. When students understand that everyone struggles with attention in our current environment, they stop blaming themselves and start building skills.<\/span><\/p><h2><b>Conclusion: Playing the Long Game<\/b><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rebuilding attention won&#8217;t happen quickly. Children raised on rapid stimulation need patient, consistent practice to develop tolerance for slower, deeper engagement.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But the payoff is substantial. Students who can sustain attention outperform their distracted peers academically. They experience less anxiety. They build stronger relationships. They develop the capacity for the kind of complex thinking that creative problem-solving and meaningful work require.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ability to focus intensely has become rare. And rare capabilities carry extraordinary value, both in careers and in life itself.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-exad-particle-enable=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-81a30e1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default exad-parallax-effect-no exad-background-color-change-no exad-glass-effect-no exad-sticky-section-no\" data-id=\"81a30e1\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-50aedc6 exad-glass-effect-no exad-sticky-section-no\" data-id=\"50aedc6\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3004c7b exad-sticky-section-no exad-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3004c7b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">FAQs<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f52780d exad-sticky-section-no exad-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-elementskit-accordion\" data-id=\"f52780d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"elementskit-accordion.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ekit-wid-con\" >\n        <div class=\"elementskit-accordion accoedion-primary\" id=\"accordion-6a0b6ee8afc48\">\n\n            \n                <div class=\"elementskit-card active\">\n                    <div class=\"elementskit-card-header\" id=\"primaryHeading-0-f52780d\">\n                        <a href=\"#collapse-25e5d9c6a0b6ee8afc48\" class=\"ekit-accordion--toggler elementskit-btn-link collapsed\" data-ekit-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#Collapse-25e5d9c6a0b6ee8afc48\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"Collapse-25e5d9c6a0b6ee8afc48\">\n                            \n                            <span class=\"ekit-accordion-title\">1. How long can the average student focus before getting distracted?<\/span>\n\n                            \n                                <div class=\"ekit_accordion_icon_group\">\n                                    <div class=\"ekit_accordion_normal_icon\">\n                                        <!-- Normal Icon -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"icon icon-down-arrow1\"><\/i>                                    <\/div>\n\n                                    <div class=\"ekit_accordion_active_icon\">\n                                        <!-- Active Icon -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"icon icon-up-arrow\"><\/i>                                    <\/div>\n                                <\/div>\n\n                            \n                                                    <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n\n                    <div id=\"Collapse-25e5d9c6a0b6ee8afc48\" class=\" show collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"primaryHeading-0-f52780d\" data-parent=\"#accordion-6a0b6ee8afc48\">\n\n                        <div class=\"elementskit-card-body ekit-accordion--content\">\n                            <p>Research by Larry Rosen found that the typical student maintains focus for only three to five minutes before switching to technology-related tasks.<\/p>                        <\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n                <\/div><!-- .elementskit-card END -->\n\n                \n                <div class=\"elementskit-card \">\n                    <div class=\"elementskit-card-header\" id=\"primaryHeading-1-f52780d\">\n                        <a href=\"#collapse-81dbf5e6a0b6ee8afc48\" class=\"ekit-accordion--toggler elementskit-btn-link collapsed\" data-ekit-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#Collapse-81dbf5e6a0b6ee8afc48\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"Collapse-81dbf5e6a0b6ee8afc48\">\n                            \n                            <span class=\"ekit-accordion-title\">2. What is attention residue, and why does it affect learning?<\/span>\n\n                            \n                                <div class=\"ekit_accordion_icon_group\">\n                                    <div class=\"ekit_accordion_normal_icon\">\n                                        <!-- Normal Icon -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"icon icon-down-arrow1\"><\/i>                                    <\/div>\n\n                                    <div class=\"ekit_accordion_active_icon\">\n                                        <!-- Active Icon -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"icon icon-up-arrow\"><\/i>                                    <\/div>\n                                <\/div>\n\n                            \n                                                    <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n\n                    <div id=\"Collapse-81dbf5e6a0b6ee8afc48\" class=\" collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"primaryHeading-1-f52780d\" data-parent=\"#accordion-6a0b6ee8afc48\">\n\n                        <div class=\"elementskit-card-body ekit-accordion--content\">\n                            <p>Attention residue occurs when part of the mind remains anchored to a previous task even after switching away. It leads to shallow processing and difficulty engaging with complex material.<\/p>                        <\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n                <\/div><!-- .elementskit-card END -->\n\n                \n                <div class=\"elementskit-card \">\n                    <div class=\"elementskit-card-header\" id=\"primaryHeading-2-f52780d\">\n                        <a href=\"#collapse-6cbd0d96a0b6ee8afc48\" class=\"ekit-accordion--toggler elementskit-btn-link collapsed\" data-ekit-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#Collapse-6cbd0d96a0b6ee8afc48\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"Collapse-6cbd0d96a0b6ee8afc48\">\n                            \n                            <span class=\"ekit-accordion-title\">3. What are the 6 habits to stay focused in a world full of distractions?<\/span>\n\n                            \n                                <div class=\"ekit_accordion_icon_group\">\n                                    <div class=\"ekit_accordion_normal_icon\">\n                                        <!-- Normal Icon -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"icon icon-down-arrow1\"><\/i>                                    <\/div>\n\n                                    <div class=\"ekit_accordion_active_icon\">\n                                        <!-- Active Icon -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"icon icon-up-arrow\"><\/i>                                    <\/div>\n                                <\/div>\n\n                            \n                                                    <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n\n                    <div id=\"Collapse-6cbd0d96a0b6ee8afc48\" class=\" collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"primaryHeading-2-f52780d\" data-parent=\"#accordion-6a0b6ee8afc48\">\n\n                        <div class=\"elementskit-card-body ekit-accordion--content\">\n                            <p>No-device zones, Attention Ladder method, single-tasking, productive struggle, reflection questions, and scheduled empty time without screens or planned activities.<\/p>                        <\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n                <\/div><!-- .elementskit-card END -->\n\n                \n                <div class=\"elementskit-card \">\n                    <div class=\"elementskit-card-header\" id=\"primaryHeading-3-f52780d\">\n                        <a href=\"#collapse-7f18e086a0b6ee8afc48\" class=\"ekit-accordion--toggler elementskit-btn-link collapsed\" data-ekit-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#Collapse-7f18e086a0b6ee8afc48\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"Collapse-7f18e086a0b6ee8afc48\">\n                            \n                            <span class=\"ekit-accordion-title\">4. How to stay 100% focused?<\/span>\n\n                            \n                                <div class=\"ekit_accordion_icon_group\">\n                                    <div class=\"ekit_accordion_normal_icon\">\n                                        <!-- Normal Icon -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"icon icon-down-arrow1\"><\/i>                                    <\/div>\n\n                                    <div class=\"ekit_accordion_active_icon\">\n                                        <!-- Active Icon -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"icon icon-up-arrow\"><\/i>                                    <\/div>\n                                <\/div>\n\n                            \n                                                    <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n\n                    <div id=\"Collapse-7f18e086a0b6ee8afc48\" class=\" collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"primaryHeading-3-f52780d\" data-parent=\"#accordion-6a0b6ee8afc48\">\n\n                        <div class=\"elementskit-card-body ekit-accordion--content\">\n                            <p>Remove devices from your workspace entirely, single-task consistently, build focus gradually through practice, and understand that attention is trainable.<\/p>                        <\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n                <\/div><!-- .elementskit-card END -->\n\n                \n                <div class=\"elementskit-card \">\n                    <div class=\"elementskit-card-header\" id=\"primaryHeading-4-f52780d\">\n                        <a href=\"#collapse-da790af6a0b6ee8afc48\" class=\"ekit-accordion--toggler elementskit-btn-link collapsed\" data-ekit-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#Collapse-da790af6a0b6ee8afc48\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"Collapse-da790af6a0b6ee8afc48\">\n                            \n                            <span class=\"ekit-accordion-title\">5. Why is multitasking harmful for students?<\/span>\n\n                            \n                                <div class=\"ekit_accordion_icon_group\">\n                                    <div class=\"ekit_accordion_normal_icon\">\n                                        <!-- Normal Icon -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"icon icon-down-arrow1\"><\/i>                                    <\/div>\n\n                                    <div class=\"ekit_accordion_active_icon\">\n                                        <!-- Active Icon -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"icon icon-up-arrow\"><\/i>                                    <\/div>\n                                <\/div>\n\n                            \n                                                    <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n\n                    <div id=\"Collapse-da790af6a0b6ee8afc48\" class=\" collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"primaryHeading-4-f52780d\" data-parent=\"#accordion-6a0b6ee8afc48\">\n\n                        <div class=\"elementskit-card-body ekit-accordion--content\">\n                            <p>Multitasking is actually rapid task switching, and each switch incurs a cognitive cost. Students who attempt to juggle multiple tasks perform worse on all of them compared to focusing on one task at a time.<\/p>                        <\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n                <\/div><!-- .elementskit-card END -->\n\n                                        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents How to Build Attention, Focus, and Deep Thinking in a Distracted Generation A sixteen-year-old sits down to study. Within three minutes, his phone buzzes. He checks it, just a glance, and twenty minutes later, he&#8217;s deep in a scroll spiral he never intended to start. We&#8217;re raising the first generation where sustained [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":29967,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Build Attention, Focus, and Deep Thinking | OWIS India<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how OWIS helps students build attention, focus, and deep thinking skills to succeed in a world full of distractions and digital noise.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Build Attention, Focus, and Deep Thinking | OWIS India\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how OWIS helps students build attention, focus, and deep thinking skills to succeed in a world full of distractions and digital noise.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"One World International School - India\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-12T06:26:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-31T07:48:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/How-to-Build-Attention-Focus-and-Deep-Thinking-in-a-Distracted-Generation.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"One World International School (OWIS) Japan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"One World International School (OWIS) Japan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"One World International School (OWIS) Japan\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/#\/schema\/person\/1c5281fd5e58b4ae8c9e87b72aa84f95\"},\"headline\":\"How to Build Attention, Focus, and Deep Thinking in a Distracted Generation\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-12T06:26:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T07:48:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/\"},\"wordCount\":1150,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/How-to-Build-Attention-Focus-and-Deep-Thinking-in-a-Distracted-Generation.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"How To Hub\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/\",\"name\":\"How to Build Attention, Focus, and Deep Thinking | OWIS India\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/How-to-Build-Attention-Focus-and-Deep-Thinking-in-a-Distracted-Generation.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-12T06:26:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T07:48:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn how OWIS helps students build attention, focus, and deep thinking skills to succeed in a world full of distractions and digital noise.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/How-to-Build-Attention-Focus-and-Deep-Thinking-in-a-Distracted-Generation.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/How-to-Build-Attention-Focus-and-Deep-Thinking-in-a-Distracted-Generation.png\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/how-to\/build-attention-focus-and-deep-thinking-in-a-distracted-generation\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Build Attention, Focus, and Deep Thinking in a Distracted Generation\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/owis.org\/in\/\",\"name\":\"One World International School - 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