I couldn't put a finger on when it started but we all know how the American attention span has been obliterated. Was it the 500 channel TV remote that somehow compels you to flip through the channels continually fearful that you might miss something? Was it the first-person shooter video game that forces finger twitching button manipulation without concern for collateral damage? Was it the stream of MTV music videos that artistically sliced and diced scenes into two second or less image flashes lest we watch too long and get bored? Was it the modern American textbook that feels obligated to array every page with color graphics, kaleidoscopic charts, fold-outs, foot-notes and sidebars? Was it Twitter and Facebook that deluge you with hundreds of snippets none of which have context or duration? Was it the TV news show with the crawl, the side-bar, the split-screen and the breaking news headline scroll?
Regardless of where the cause was, we now find ourselves choosing our leadership in that mode. And we can all agree that it doesn't work very well. Dan Henninger at the WSJ describes it all too well and offers some possible alternative approaches:
Jello Wrestling in a Brooks Brothers Suit
1 comment:
I blame Beavis and Butthead. I note that MTV is bringing them back.
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