In our latest webinar, three experts tackled the biggest challenge facing presenters today: audience distraction. Here's what we learned.
If you've ever presented to a room of distracted faces—people scrolling on phones, glazed eyes, or minds clearly elsewhere, you know how frustrating it can be. That's exactly why we hosted "Defeat the Distracted Brain"
Moderated by Ian Paynton, AhaSlides Brand Director, this interactive webinar brought together three leading experts to address a crisis that 82.4% of presenters face regularly: audience distraction.
Meet the Expert Panel
Our panel featured:
- Dr. Sheri All – Neuropsychologist specialising in cognitive function and attention
- Hannah Choi – Executive function coach working with neurodivergent learners
- Neil Carcusa – Training manager with years of front-line presentation experience
The session itself practised what it preached, using AhaSlides for live word clouds, Q&As, polls, and even a lucky draw giveaway to keep participants engaged throughout. Watch the recording here.
The Distraction Crisis: What the Research Shows
We opened the webinar by sharing eye-opening findings from our recent AhaSlides research study of 1,480 professionals. The numbers paint a stark picture:
- 82.4% of presenters report regular audience distraction
- 69% believe reduced attention spans impact session productivity
- 41% of higher educators say distraction negatively affects their job satisfaction
- 43% of corporate trainers report the same
What's causing all this distraction? Participants identified four main culprits:
- Multitasking (48%)
- Digital device notifications (43%)
- Screen fatigue (41%)
- Lack of interactivity (41.7%)
The emotional toll is real, too. Presenters described feeling "incompetent, unproductive, drained, or invisible" when facing a tuned-out room.
Dr. Sheri All on the Science of Attention
Dr. All kicked off the expert discussion with a deep dive into how attention actually works. As she explained, "Attention is the gateway to memory. If you don't capture attention, learning simply cannot happen."
She broke down attention into three critical components:
- Alerting – Being ready to receive information
- Orienting – Directing focus to what matters
- Executive control – Maintaining that focus intentionally
Then came the sobering statistic: Over the past 25 years, collective attention spans have dropped from approximately two minutes to just 47 seconds. We've adapted to digital environments that demand constant task-switching, and our brains have fundamentally changed as a result.
The Multitasking Myth
Dr. All debunked one of the most common misconceptions: "Multitasking is a myth. The brain can only focus on one thing at a time."
What we call multitasking is actually rapid attention switching, and she outlined the serious costs:
- We make more mistakes
- Our performance slows significantly (research shows effects similar to cannabis impairment)
- Our stress levels increase dramatically
For presenters, this has a critical implication: Every second your audience spends reading text-heavy slides is a second they're not listening to you speak.
Neil Carcusa on the Biggest Presenter Mistake
Neil Carcusa, drawing from his extensive training experience, identified what he sees as the most common trap presenters fall into:
"The biggest mistake is assuming attention only needs to be captured once. You need to plan for attention resets throughout your entire session."
His point resonated strongly with the audience. Even the most engaged person will drift—to an unread email, a looming deadline, or simple mental fatigue. The solution isn't a better opening hook; it's designing your presentation as a series of attention captures from start to finish.
Carcusa also emphasised that training should be treated as an experience driven by interactivity, not merely as information transfer. He noted that the presenter's energy and state directly influence the audience through what he called the "mirror effect"—if you're scattered or low-energy, your audience will be too.
Hannah Choi on Designing for All Brains
Hannah Choi, an executive function coach, offered what might have been the most important perspective shift of the entire webinar:
"When someone gets distracted, the issue often lies with the environment or presentation design—not a character flaw in the person."
Instead of blaming distracted audiences, Choi advocates for inclusive design principles that work with how brains actually function, especially neurodivergent brains. Her approach:
- Support executive functioning with clear structure
- Provide signposting (tell people where they're going)
- Break content into manageable chunks
- Create psychological safety through predictability
When you design for brains that struggle most with attention and executive function (like those with ADHD), you create presentations that work better for everyone.
On Slides and Storytelling
Choi was particularly emphatic about slide design. Presenters should know their content well enough to tell it as a story, she explained, with slides serving as illustrations—cool images and bullet points—rather than a "novel."
Wordy slides create distraction by forcing the audience to switch between verbal listening and verbal reading, which the brain cannot do simultaneously.
Key Strategies Shared During the Webinar
Throughout the session, the panelists shared specific, actionable strategies that presenters can implement immediately. Here are the highlights:
1. Plan for Attention Resets
Rather than capturing attention once at the beginning, build in deliberate resets every 5-10 minutes using:
- Surprising statistics or facts
- Direct questions to the audience
- Brief interactive activities
- Clear topic or section transitions
- Intentional energy shifts in your delivery
The panelists noted that tools like AhaSlides can turn potential distractions (phones) into engagement tools through live polls, word clouds, and Q&As—co-opting devices for participation rather than fighting against them.
2. Eliminate Wordy Slides
This point came up repeatedly from all three panelists. When you put paragraphs on slides, you force your audience's brain to choose between reading (verbal processing) and listening to you (also verbal processing). They can't do both effectively.
The recommendation: Use slides as illustrations with compelling images and minimal bullet points. Know your content well enough to tell it as a story, with slides as visual punctuation.
3. Build in Breaks (for You and Your Audience)
Hannah Choi was particularly emphatic about this: "Breaks aren't just for the audience—they protect your stamina as a presenter."
Her recommendations:
- Keep content blocks to 15-20 minutes maximum
- Vary format and style throughout
- Use interactive activities as natural breaks
- Include actual bio breaks for longer sessions
A tired presenter radiates low energy, which is contagious. Protect yourself to protect your audience's engagement.
4. Leverage the Mirror Effect
Attention is contagious, the panelists agreed. Your energy, confidence, and preparedness directly influence your audience's engagement level through what Neil called the "mirror effect."
If you're scattered, your audience feels anxious. If you're unprepared, they disengage. But if you're confident and energised, they lean in.
The key? Practice your content. Know it well. This isn't about memorisation—it's about the confidence that comes from preparation.
5. Make Content Personally Relevant
Design from your audience's perspective, the panel advised. Address their specific pain points and connect content to their real goals and challenges using relevant examples.
Generic content gets generic attention. When people see themselves in your content, distraction becomes much harder.
Three Final Takeaways from the Panel
As we wrapped up the webinar, each panelist offered one final thought to leave with participants:
Dr. Sheri All: "Attention is fleeting."
Accept this reality and design for it. Stop fighting against human neurology and start working with it.
Hannah Choi: "Take care of yourself as a presenter."
You cannot pour from an empty cup. Your state directly affects your audience's state. Prioritise your preparation, practice, and energy management.
Neil Carcusa: "Attention doesn't fail because people don't care."
When your audience gets distracted, it's not personal. They're not bad people, and you're not a bad presenter. They're humans with human brains in an environment designed for distraction. Your job is to create the conditions for focus.
