Published Oct 07 2022

‘What Happens Next?’: Is Our Attention Slipping?

Susan
Carland
Academic, author and social commentator
Craig hassed oam
Professor, Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies
Mark bellgrove
Professor (Research), Psychology
Hannah kirk
Senior Lecturer, Psychology, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health
Timber hawkeye
Author, “Buddhist Boot Camp”

Having trouble focusing lately? You’re not alone – and you probably already know it.

From TikTok to the Times, it seems everyone’s paying attention to, well, attention. During the pandemic lockdowns, many of us took up practices such as mindfulness and meditation, while others discovered that their struggles juggling tasks might be the result of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, (ADHD).

Read: I think I have ADHD. How do I get a diagnosis? What might it mean for me?

Season seven of Monash University’s podcast, What Happens Next?, kicks off with a focus on focus. Has the average attention span dropped in the age of social media and smartphones? What's causing us to lose our focus? And why has there been a recent uptick in ADHD diagnoses among children and adults alike?

To answer these questions and more, host Dr Susan Carland sits down with a range of expert guests, including Monash University Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health neuroscientists Professor Mark Bellgrove and Dr Hannah Kirk; Professor Craig Hassed OAM, Director of Education at the University’s Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies; and Timber Hawkeye, author of the bestselling book Buddhist Boot Camp.

So while we have your attention, sit back, relax, and find out what happens next.

“We have a lot of, often, negativity about ADHD. People often will say it's a made-up condition, didn't exist years ago, etc., etc. But the heritability estimates for ADHD are really on a par with other major mental conditions, whether it be schizophrenia or autism. I think it's really important that we acknowledge that it is a biologically-driven genetic condition.”

Professor Mark Bellgrove

What Happens Next? will be back next week with part two of this series, “Can We Sharpen Our Focus?”.

If you’re enjoying the show, don’t forget to subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and rate or review What Happens Next? to help listeners like yourself discover it.

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About the Authors

  • Susan carland

    Director, Bachelor of Global Studies, and Lecturer, School of Language, Literature, Cultures and Linguistics

    Susan's research and teaching specialties focus on gender, sociology, contemporary Australia, terrorism, and Islam in the modern world. Susan hosted the “Assumptions” series on ABC’s Radio National, and was named one of the 20 Most Influential Australian Female Voices in 2012 by The Age.

  • Craig hassed oam

    Professor, Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies

    Craig is coordinator of mindfulness programs at Monash University. He has been instrumental in introducing a variety of innovations into medical education and practice in Australia and overseas with an emphasis on the application of holistic, integrative and mind-body medicine in medical practice.

  • Mark bellgrove

    Professor (Research), Psychology, Monash University

    Mark is Director of Research at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, and a Professor in Cognitive Neuroscience in the School of Psychological Sciences, at Monash University, where he leads a multidisciplinary team studying the biological basis of attention and cognitive control.

  • Hannah kirk

    Senior Lecturer, Psychology, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health

    Dr Hannah Kirk is a Developmental Neuroscientist and NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow in the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, at Monash University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Newcastle University (UK) and a PhD in Psychological Sciences from Monash University (Australia).

  • Timber hawkeye

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