The Attention Experiment introduces students to a simple, memorable sequence that helps them notice what happens to their attention when they go online — and practise small shifts that restore choice and focus.
The Scroll Loop… Let's start with something we all do…
A student opens TikTok or YouTube to watch one video (scroll) and quickly finds themselves watching clip after clip without noticing time passing (loop). They notice a moment of distraction, restlessness, or “why am I still here?” (notice) and use this moment to make a small change — which could be closing the app, moving their body, shifting attention back to what they were doing, or simply taking a breath and a break (choose).
Which do you recognise?
Quick check, lost time?
Tired but wired before bed?
Bored but can't stop?
What’s happening to ATTENTION
Digital platforms are designed to capture attention.
Notifications, short-form videos, autoplay, and infinite scroll are all built to draw attention in — often before we’ve made a conscious choice.
Once attention is pulled in, it’s easy to LOOP
Each swipe or scroll can trigger a small release of dopamine — a reward signal in the brain That feeling fades quickly, which encourages another swipe, and then another as the brains Default Mode Network gets activated, responsible for daydreaming, and you lose track of time.
Most of this happens automatically.
It’s not a lack of willpower — it’s how the system works.
The body notices first: NOTICE
Before we think about it, the body often signals that something has shifted:
slouched posture
tired eyes
restlessness
irritation or mental fog
That moment of noticing — “something doesn’t feel quite right” — is the shift.
The practical skill: CHOOSE
In the session, students practise making choices of how they move out the loop
This might be:
taking one slow breath
putting the phone face down
standing up or stretching
looking around the room
returning attention to the task they were doing
Even a single breath can interrupt the loop
That pause is a moment where choice comes back online.
The sequence works by helping students recognise automatic patterns of attention and creating a brief pause where more deliberate choices can be made, supporting focus, self-regulation, and learning.
Story-based examples are informed by youth-led research and young people’s lived experiences.
A simple way to help them notice what’s happening to their attention.