How do institutions built for slowness survive in an economy optimised for speed?

If the attention economy has taught us one thing very clearly it's if something doesn’t grab us immediately, it risks being ignored.

Social platforms, streaming services and games are engineered for speed, frictionless discovery and instant reward. Average adult attention spans for media content continue to shrink, while Ofcom reports that UK adults now spend more than four hours a day consuming digital media across devices. Against that backdrop, museums and galleries can feel like relics of a slower age. Places that ask for time, patience and quiet reflection.

It’s tempting, then, to assume that the solution is obvious. Become more like digital media.

Shorter content.

More spectacle.

Louder moments.

More “hooks”.

But that instinct misses something crucial. Museums are not struggling because they are slow. They struggle when slowness is poorly designed.

The real competition is not for pace, but for experience quality.

Today, museums and galleries compete directly with highly polished commercial experiences, not just for people’s time, but for their expectations. Research from MuseumNext and the Museums Association over the past year has consistently shown that visitors increasingly benchmark cultural experiences against all leisure activities, not just other museums. Streaming platforms, apps and digital services have set a baseline for what a “good” experience feels like: clarity, ease, choice and emotional payoff.

When these expectations aren’t met, visitors disengage quickly. Studies of visitor behaviour show that most museum-goers decide whether to meaningfully engage with an exhibition within the first few minutes of arrival. Confusing layouts, dense interpretation or unclear narratives don’t feel “thoughtful”, they feel stressful. In a world saturated with stimulation, people are not short of things to do; they are short of experiences that feel intentional and restorative.

Recent research we commissioned reinforces this point sharply. When we asked 45–60 year olds about their motivations for engaging with cultural institutions, the most common response, selected by 52% of respondents, was: “I find them a relaxing place to spend time.” Relaxation, calm and peace outranked education, stimulation, inspiration or social activity.

This aligns with broader sector research. Audience studies conducted by Culture24 and the Heritage Fund indicate growing demand for cultural spaces that support wellbeing, reflection and mental escape, particularly among mid-life and older audiences with limited discretionary time. Attention hasn’t disappeared; it has become selective. People are actively seeking environments that offer relief from speed, not more of it.

This is where the idea of “competing with social media” becomes misleading. Museums do not need to win the attention economy on its own terms. They need to acknowledge it and then offer something distinct.

The most successful institutions are not copying digital platforms; they are learning from them. Not in tone or tempo, but in design thinking. Visitor research consistently shows that audiences value clear wayfinding, multiple entry points into content and the freedom to engage at their own pace. These are behaviours shaped by digital life, but they don’t require digital spectacle to be satisfied.

Crucially, slowness today cannot be assumed. It has to be earned.

In an overstimulated world, calm is no longer the default state. Museums that provide it do so deliberately, through thoughtful pacing, legibility and emotional sensitivity.

This is why experience quality has become the real battleground. A gallery visit that feels calm, coherent and considered can offer something Netflix or TikTok fundamentally cannot. Research into visitor dwell time consistently shows that when people feel comfortable and oriented, they stay longer, engage more and are more likely to return.

Seen this way, museums are not behind the curve, they are counter-cultural. In an economy built on acceleration, they can become places of intentional pause. But only if they respect the realities of modern attention rather than dismiss them.

The institutions that thrive will be those that understand that slowness is no longer automatic. It is a designed outcome. And in a world optimised for speed, that may be their most valuable asset.