system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do people, when starting at something for a long period of time "zone" out?
gpt
It is a type of hypnosis. A very common one is highway hypnosis, when someone is driving and staring at the road and the road doesn't change much, like when driving over flat lands. A driver is prone to zone out and can fall asleep or lose concentration. They may not remember large parts of their trip. 

To avoid this, a scanning approach should be used. Instead of focusing on one point, scan things in front of you. Look up, look down, to the left and to the right. Never focus on one point for more than a few seconds.