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OTTAWA — People now have shorter attention spans than goldfish — and our always-on portable devices may be to blame, a new study suggests.

The study from Microsoft Corp. draws on surveys of more than 2,000 Canadians who played games online in order to determine the impact that pocket-sized devices and the increased availability of digital media and information are having on everyday life. Researchers also used electroencephalograms (EEGs) to monitor 112 people.

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The study found that, thanks to our desire to always be connected, people can multi-task like never before. But our attention spans have fallen from an average of 12 seconds in 2000 to just eight seconds today.

A goldfish is believed to have a nine-second attention span on average, the study says.

“Canadians with more digital lifestyles (those who consume more media, are multi-screeners, social media enthusiasts, or earlier adopters of technology) struggle to focus in environments where prolonged attention is needed,” reads the study.