A losing battle to hold our attention.

Byline: EMMA ELSWORTHY [email protected]

BRITS have an average attention span of just 14 minutes, a study found.

Experts examined our ability to stay "tuned in" during a string of everyday scenarios.

They found while watching television, the average adult loses concentration after just seven minutes - usually to look at a mobile device.

Finance-related meetings or conversations only keep our attention for 10 minutes.

And, alarmingly, motorists start driving on "auto-pilot" just 10 minutes into a journey.

Stacey Stothard of Skipton Building Society, who carried out the research, said: "Due to our short attention spans, we are simply not taking enough time to think about the things that matter, including our finances and the future."

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DISTRACTION Mobiles