“The average attention span has shrunk 50% over the last decade.”
Statistically speaking, you’ll skim through this article in 12 seconds.
The average attention span has shrunk 50% over the last decade.
When the internet offers us limitless information, we can be selective. Our habit of scrolling through social media feeds and flipping through apps is a driving force in the death of our ability to focus.
To hold attention in the 21st Century, content must be uber-engaging.
According to this piece, less than half of us will spend more than 60 seconds on any given video from the internet. We don’t have time for it. Our attention is the only economy where we hold all the chips. We take that seriously. We want fast entertainment.
For writers, like me, this is an ugly trend.
Authors, essayists,– writers of all kinds have never been the type to look for instant gratification. We know better.
I have friends who make videos for a living. Understandably, they’re always looking for immediate feedback. Because of the nature of the medium, writers don’t get the pleasure of on-the-spot feedback.
Reading is reflective. One cannot be dazzled by visuals or the right music as in video; all a writer has to be impressive are his words.
This is a scary reality in a world where people skim through blog articles at an average of 100 words every 4 seconds.
Nevertheless, writers have continued to find ways to make a living.
Let’s take a moment to think about how we value the art of written communication.
An author may spend years on a novel only for Hollywood to adopt a version of it within a few months.
Without a doubt, people are more likely to spend $20 on a movie ticket or DVD than a book of the same title (myself included). By the way, who still buys DVDs? Maybe I need a new comparison, but you get the point.
Even as a ten-year writer and published novelist, I don’t appreciate the true value of words.
I’m more likely to search for a book’s PDF and download it illegally from a sketchy website rather than drive to the bookstore or order it on Amazon. That’s me. Someone who has a catalog of five books available on Amazon!
Speaking of selling on Amazon — it’s great. It gives independent authors like me a chance at survival. Not much of a chance, but a chance.
The ability to print-on-demand changed the game for those of us who still believe in print media. And the eBook, well, what a marvel idea. The ability to hold thousands of books and millions of words on a single device gave us writer’s a fighting chance.
Unfortunately, that device also holds millions of videos, photos, and countless other distractions. Words on a screen don’t stand a chance at earning the attention they deserve
That’s why we have to sell full eBooks for $0.99 on Amazon and hope they are promoted well in the market’s algorithm. Amazon basically tells us, “If you want to sell an eBook for more than $2.99, well, good luck.”
Meanwhile, it seems every YouTuber and their moms are making 6-figure incomes. This, by creating senseless vlogs and scoring from ad revenue alone.
I don’t want to go on ranting about this. I don’t want to come off as a desperate writer (even though that’s exactly what I am). I don’t want pity (even though I know you wouldn’t give it to me).
The truth is, I just want an audience. It doesn’t matter if I have to sell my eBooks for $0.99. It doesn’t matter if I have to write on Medium every day for free. If I knew people were reading (not skimming) my words, that’s all the gratification I would need.
So, I’ll keep writing in this world that doesn’t appreciate the art anymore. I’ll keep turning out words that I believe. Words that make me feel good.
I will work on being more optimistic. And hope that one day, in some form, appreciation for words will return.
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** This article was originally published at www.adamcheshier.com **
