Looking at our smartphone produces a hit of dopamine, but when are we checking it too much? And how is it impacting residents’ attention span in Arizona?

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To discover how our attention spans are enduring during this Age of Distraction, Solitaire Bliss surveyed over 2,500 people.

Arizona is the 6th least distracted state. This is because:

• Just 34% of Arizona residents said they frequently talked to loved ones while doing something on their phones (Iowa was the worst at 46% for comparison).

• 26% of Arizona residents can only last a few minutes before their mind wanders and they reach for their phone (California was the worst at 44%).

• 58% of Arizona residents say they have never looked down at their phones as they cross a street.

• Since no one is perfect, 52% of Arizona residents do still bring their phones to use on the toilet frequently.

Studies have shown that looking at your phone provides you with a hit of dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone. Each time your phone dings with a new notification, dopamine levels in your brain spike, giving you a sense of pleasure and taking your attention away from reading, talking to your friends, or whatever the task may be.

According to a Harvard University study, our brains contain a “pleasure pathway” responsible for different cognitive-behavioral functions including our attention spans. So, it’s no wonder we found that 80% of Americans take their phones to the toilet with them at least sometimes—scrolling through Instagram is a much more rewarding and pleasurable pathway for our brains than staring at the wall!

As smartphones and games like solitaire become more commonplace among generations, we set out to discover how Americans’ attention spans are enduring during this Age of Distraction. We surveyed over 2,000 Americans on their experiences with their current attention spans and everyday habits, such as using the toilet and talking to friends on the phone. Then we analyzed our findings by state, age, and gender to give you an eye-catching ranking of states with the shortest attention spans.

Key Findings

• The states with the shortest attention spans are California, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

• A majority of Americans (80%) bring their phone to the toilet at least sometimes.

• Women use their phones while watching TV more than men.

• Gen Z has the shortest attention span compared to millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers.