--The average attention span of a human being in 2000:
12 seconds
--The average attention span of a human being in 2023: 8.25
seconds
--The average attention span of a goldfish: 9 seconds
Do I have your attention now?!
This is the unfortunate reality you are up against in the courtroom. A goldfish has a longer attention span than today’s average juror . . .
Our attention span has shortened as our world has become more complex, faster, more demanding, and more bite-sized. This is not a put-down of jurors or anyone else. It is simply a reality that is best dealt with, not avoided.
Short sentences, introducing a single idea in a single sentence, pausing between short paragraphs--these are techniques that will serve you well in assuring you retain juror attention.
Beyond that, use visuals. We have become a visually-obsessed
society. We are geared to paying attention to visuals, rather than words. The
good news is that when well-designed and executed, visuals can encapsulate
lengthy explanations that the jurors can grasp in those critical 8 seconds,
whereas the verbal explanation--albeit still necessary--may take hours to thoroughly
present.
