Have you noticed that you have trouble paying attention to a movie or a book? With smartphones and social media, this is becoming more and more common. But it turns out that the movie or book that you’re ignoring may be the antidote to your shorter attention span. 

Today on Commotion, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks to culture writer Rebecca Jennings, tech and public policy expert Vass Bednar and media studies professor Siva Vaidhyanathan. They discuss how shrinking attention spans in the social media age are impacting the way that literature, film and music are produced and consumed, as well as how to take back your attention using art. 

You can listen to the full discussion from today’s show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Panel produced by Stuart Berman.