The phrase "a shrinking attention" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a decrease in focus or concentration, often in the context of discussions about media consumption or learning environments.
Example: "In today's fast-paced digital world, we are witnessing a shrinking attention span among young learners."
Alternatives: "diminishing attention" or "declining attention".
The reason elevator pitches are important is that we have an ever- shrinking attention span, so you need to capture someone's attention in a very short, succinct pitch.
In an age of shrinking attention spans and digital overload, one negative review can predetermine expectations.
And yes, a growing culture of ahistoricity, shrinking attention spans, and an overblown sense of personal image and its importance are all risks attendant to this development and those of us growing up with it.
I spoke with Maddin on the phone about his conception and execution of the project during an era of the shrinking attention span.
Although he bookends the show with segments attacking the state of politics in general and the current election in particular, much of "Running on Empty" is given over to general observations (negative) about the likes of Facebook and Twitter, which he blames for the younger generation's shrinking attention span — a phenomenon going viral more quickly than any cute-kitty video on YouTube.
There's no other film-maker who has a better shot at hauling our shrinking attention spans into shape.
A handful of publications still resist the shrinking attention spans of Americans, however, and beginning this summer, one of the holdouts -- The Atlantic Monthly -- plans to run the longest piece of journalism it has ever published, and one of the longest in magazine history.
"Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer," edited by Robert Swartwood, is on the wrong side of both of these rules, yet it's an interesting, often thrilling collection, not because it rewards our shrinking attention spans, but because the best of these stories transcend the gimmick and are complete, elegant moments of fiction.
Forget all that talk about shrinking attention spans.
And I don't think it's just because of our much lamented shrinking attention spans.
