Smart phones and social media platforms are ideal for sharing information, as long as the communication is direct—and brief. That’s because the average attention span of a human being is…oh, wait a minute, my boyfriend is texting me.

Scientists say technology has rewired our brains and our ability to stay on task. A recent survey of media consumption by Microsoft concluded: “The average attention span has fallen to eight seconds, down from 12 in the year 2000. We now have a shorter attention span than goldfish.” (The attention span of goldfish is believed to be nine seconds).

So, keep it snappy when you’re socializing digitally. And remember: technology has made life easier, but could also have strange effects on human behavior. I’d Google them, but it might take longer than eight seconds.

By Jane Fusco ’76, marketing manager at URI’s Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Education and Professional Studies