Attention Span

There is a ubiquitous perception that the attention span of today's consumers is very short. The prevailing conventional wisdom is that this is due to a flood of information, bright, shiny objects and flashing images. I agree with this to a certain extent. But I find my own attention span dropping due to something else, and it has several aspects. First, I find myself shying away from a television program or commercial for one of two reasons. First of all, I have no patience for crap. And 90% of what I am paying for on television is tragically poor. I therefor have a very short attention span with regard to television and radio. This includes political speeches. One minute of the president and I know that spending any more time is a colossal waste. Virtually any program on network television is the same, and campaigning politicians offer very little new or accurate information.

Another reason that I turn away or change the channel is that, unlike raccoons, ravens and much of my human brethren, I do not enjoy flashing lights and loud noises.

To test this, I wondered if I have a longer attention span when I encounter something that I enjoy--presumably something that is not crap? I immediately considered Ken Burns' documentaries such as The War. I thought of concert DVDs that I have watched. These shows, with quality information, presented in an intellectual way, or good music in a well-produced live show, kept my attention for hours at a time. Fascinating information. Good musicians. No ridiculous commercials for "hemis" or some slasher movie.

So, are we really developing a short attention span and a decrease in our creative nature? Or are we just tired of crap?