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Have you noticed that some of social media posts will garner tons of “likes,” retweets, shares, and comments, but others…well…they just don’t? It seemed to me that the ones that are the most important are commonly in the latter group. Frustrated, I looked deeper into this issue and was surprised by what I found. I think you will be too, but it’s an important communication lesson for us all in the Technological Age. By the way, I encourage you to read through to the end of this blog post. You’ll see why when you get there.
That old saying “I’m just too broke to pay attention” is becoming a sad reality in today’s society-especially in light of the current and equally sad economy. Do you ever feel like people don’t pay attention to what you post on Facebook or read your emails? Well, I ran an extended experiment on my fan page, Facebook wall, Twitter and Google + accounts and found some very interesting results.
What I Noticed
* Over the last several years, there has been a steady decline in newspaper and magazine subscriptions in favor of finding snippets of news on Facebook, Twitter and other internet forums.
* In the last few years, there has been a marked increase in the number of times I’ve had to play email volleyball in order to clarify something that the other party had inexplicably missed in my original communication.
* In the last year or two, more and more friends of mine were unsubscribing from newsletters, blogs and email lists that they once were quite involved in.
* Recently, there is a significant decrease of discussion on blogs and about online newsletters.
* Quite recently, there has been a distinct increase of memes and pictures posted on social media.
The Experiment
I conducted an extensive experiment on both my Facebook fan pages, my Facebook wall, Twitter/Google + account, my newsletter and my blog for the last year or so. I posted all manner of media including videos, blog posts, notes, pictures, memes and one liners.
The Results
Pictures (memes) get the most likes and comments. Anything with more than a few lines of text get very few. Links to articles, newsletters or blog posts don’t get read or responded to much because people have to take the time to click on it.
So, the more removed something is from where people see it and the more words it has, the less response there is. Further, the less likely that response reflects that the person had actually READ the article, listened to the audio or watched the video–even if people say they are interested in the topic.
Controversial topics garner the most response with unique comments about frustrating issues people are currently facing (especially if the comment has only a few lines of text) coming in second.
So Why Don’t People Read Anymore?
They’re just too broke to pay attention! Most people are so busy trying to make a living that they no longer have time to make a life. They run from family functions to kid’s activities to shopping to work and back home again, home again jiggety jig. Too busy and too involved in their own stuff to pay attention to their friends, neighbors and extended family.
What to Do in Order to Get Your Ideas Across these Days
If you are trying to get a message across for ministry or business or a cause you support and you want to make sure your thoughts get noticed, start first with picture (meme) that has little to no text, but in a creative way asks a provocative question or makes a unique or humorous statement. Then, as people comment on it, introduce your supporting ideas and details.
Do You Read?
Be honest. Have you ever been caught having to admit you hadn’t read someone’s email thoroughly? Have you ever posted a comment on Facebook only to find you had completely misunderstood his post because you hadn’t read it carefully? Have you ever tweeted a reply based on a Twitter article title and discovered egg on your face because you hadn’t actually READ the article which had nothing to do with what you thought the title suggested?
My Challenge
I challenge you to read what you may not think you have time for and to take the time to read it carefully. You just might learn something that will bless your life or the lives of others you know. You will save yourself time in the long run because you will truly understand what is being communicated to you and you will reduce the amount of conflicts you have with others because you’ll get it right the first time. I challenge you also to pass this blog link around to educate and encourage others to take the time to read.
Thank You
Another advantage of taking the time to read fully and carefully is that sometimes you are rewarded for doing so. It’s kind of like staying in the theater after a movie and watching the credits. My dad likes to leave the theater as soon as the movie is over. My dh and I always stay til the very end of the credits until they turn the lights back on. Why? Very often at the end of the movie is a bit of fun, a surprise or a story resolution you’d never know about unless you stayed and paid close attention. Sometimes it’s the best part of the movie!
If you’ve read all the way through this, admittedly, very long blog post, I’d like to thank you! I will put the names of all those who leave a comment with their thoughts/experiences and say they shared this link with others into a drawing for a free gift or a gift certificate. Your choice. You have until the end of the month to do so before I draw a name. Please make sure to have your email address on your comment so I can contact you if you are our winner.
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If you liked this post, read…Seven Reasons Why YOU Should Sign Up for the Art of Eloquence Newsletter! This month I’ll be sharing newsletter articles on two other disturbing communication trends you need to know about and what YOU can do about them!
NOTE: And don’t forget to check out our incredible Fire Sale this month! Here’s what one customer had to say: “I can’t believe the awesome deal that you are offering on this set of e-books, JoJo! I just ordered mine! These are totally amazing! Thank you for such a great deal!” -Candy F.
CONTEST WINNER: April!
Congratulations to April who posted her comments and shared this blog post (actually several times) on March 4th! I am notifying her via email so she can obtain her prize! Thank you all for posting your thoughts and for sharing the blog article with your friends!
I’m retweeting this as it contains a variety of statements I agree with, such as “Most people are so busy trying to make a living that they no longer have time to make a life.” On this point alone, the consequences are enormous.
I haven’t conducted any studies or experiments, but I have found the same thing. I’m just as guilty as everyone else, too. My life seems to go at the speed of light many times and I just don’t have time to read things that would otherwise grab my attention. Sometimes I read a paragraph or two; sometimes I just hit “like” on FB or +1 on G+. And every now and then, I read the whole thing. . . like I did here. 😉
My husband and I always watch til the end of the credits too!
I had also been noticing that any posts I made that had more than one or two sentences didn’t really seem to get read, except of course, when I posted about my kids doing hilarious things. 
I agree! I am guilty of scanning and posting only to realize I have not read the entire article. I am super busy, like everyone else..but agree and from now on I am going to click on articles and read more thoroughly (or try too, lol) I will also repost on my page. Thanks JoJo!!
Excellent post, JoJo, and so totally on target. I have noticed the same thing. Just looking at blog stats and other media info measures and it is clear folks aren’t taking the time to “stop and smell the roses” as it were. Thanks for sharing your insights, sadly true as they may be.
What about video links, JoJo? One of the key messages that I am observing in the internet marketing world is the higher click rate on video posts. Any thoughts?
Great post JoJo! I enjoyed *reading* about the findings of your experiment
Thanks, JoJo, for taking the time to pen this post. This speaks to me, and is prompting me to make some changes in the way I do things online…much appreciated 😉
Thanks for reading and commenting, everyone!
Randee, I talked about the video links in the article. I found that most people don’t click on them anymore. If it takes more time: requires more reading, takes an extra step to see, it doesn’t usually work well these days.
First, am a watch the credits type person too. I didn’t used to be, but several years ago I started realizing that allowing that little bit of extra time to listen to the music and maybe get a fun surprise helped me leave a movie feeling relaxed rater than off to the next thing.
Second, I love and hate you saying, “Most people are so busy trying to make a living that they no longer have time to make a life. They run from family functions to kid’s activities to shopping to work and back home again, home again jiggety jig. Too busy and too involved in their own stuff to pay attention to their friends, neighbors and extended family.” I love that you said it because it is so true. I hate that it is true, both for me and for those I live around. Even when a family tries to purposely slow down, life seems to run ahead at too fast a pace.
Third, I’ve wondered if there aren’t some reasons other than busyness that lead to people not reading carefully or thoroughly. Perhaps the sheer amount of electronic text coming at us from many directions overwhelms our brain’s ability to carefully process it. Or perhaps reading on back lit devices is part of the problem? I know that I find my eyes wanting to jump ahead more frequently when reading online than when reading on paper or an e-ink device. Or perhaps all of those school years of heavy reading assignments permanently trained our brains to skim text? I don’t know. Have you come across anything?
Last, I am so sorry that your health problems continue to plague you. I’ve seen you struggle for years as you balance building your business and addressing your health. Even though your cuber-presence may decline, I’ll continue to pray that you’ll find answers and strength.
Thank you, Bobbi, for your prayers for my health. I’ve struggled with health issues for more than 35yrs, but have been much worse in the last 14yrs.
I’m comparing how things have changed in just the past year or two for the most part. Technology hasn’t changed all that much since then. The difference I see is that people are so busy trying to make ends meet that they don’t put as much of a value on spending time reading or taking the time to read carefully.
So true about surprises at the end of movie credits! We always stay til the lights come on.
I agree our society is in a sad state with people not paying attention. comprehension goes out the window as well. Pictures do capture attention. Well God has been using pictures since the beginning of time. What I also find useful is using a numbered approached to keeps peoples attention in getting your idea across. Like saying “I’m going to give you five reasons it’s good to eat vegetables”
You’ve hit the nail on the head JoJo! I’ve noticed the same things. I do enjoy reading posts, blogs, etc. Sometimes because of time, I don’t get to as much as I’d like.
janet@janetharllee.net
I retweeted it. I was just telling someone this morning. People don’t read the whole article. They read the headlines, then get all up in arms about it.. I have now learned to at least scan the article and find out most of the time it’s nothing like the headline suggests. People need to start reading again.
Great read Jojo although I’ll admit I caught myself skimming because I clicked on this when I knew I had to walk out the door … and yet here I am commenting because what I DID read I loved.
I suppose the only thing I might question is the whole “too broke to pay attention” theory. While I agree there are probably many in that category, I wonder if most of this lack of attention is because everyone is now so busy with the “tyranny of the unimportant” pinning on pinterest, looking at pins on pinterest, checking and rechecking their own FB photos and statuses to see how many “likes” they’re up to, etc., that they’re unable to maintain attention to something longer that takes some effort to get through. I admit I fall into that trap many times too.
AND…one thing I’ve been thinking in light of all of this is … I’m doing a lot more letter writing and pen-writing journaling again now and in the future. You can pretty much guarantee that if the same person (who is too busy to read an email or a blog post thoroughly) got a real live letter in the mail, they’d take the time to savor it.
Great post and I’m bookmarking it so I can really read it when I have more time…cuz now I’m late for my appointment!
JoJo, thanks for your post. I have noticed the same thing with my blog and blog posts. I have also noticed how much better pictures are responded to. I guess it goes back to the saying, “a picture paints a thousand words.” We are all living busy lives, trying to make a living for our families and don’t have as much time to spend stopping to smell the roses. In light of these observations, how should we change our social media to enhance the experience?
I’ve noticed this most in emails. It feels like people only read the first sentence of an email, and then they trail off. I’ve received direct replies to email messages before…asking me a question, that was answered in my original email (very plainly, I might add), had they read the entire message.
I’ve noticed in the last two weeks on Facebook, that the images are not quite as popular as they were before. Engaging my fans with questions seems to be gaining ground over messages with images. Has anyone else noticed this?
I’m planning to share on Facebook.
Thanks, ladies! Nola, I haven’t noticed a decrease in liking pictures in the last two weeks. Deborah, the article talks about how to do this in today’s online society. The best way to get people’s attention is to share a picture with little text and a powerful or humorous or controversial subject. Then once the conversation is started, you can add details and commentary to your ideas.
I am a speed reader and it gets me in trouble all the time. I showed up for supper at my friends’ house last week because I misread her text message to me. True story. I am sharing this post on my blog FB page, Coffee, Cobwebs and Curriculum. Thank you for the opportunity!
This is SO true, ans so important – as a ‘scanner’ myself, I allow far too often my A.D.D. to permit me to miss the good stuff, the true meat of the subject; the lesson in the text. Patience is not a virtue I hold, though it IS one I aspire to. My husband also has taught me to wait until the end of the movie, and yes, I’ve seen much I’d otherwise have missed…
I needed this reminder today, this WHOLE reminder, ALLL the way to the end. Thank you!
Blessings to you; this was a definite blessing to me!
This is definitely true! Even most of what my friends on facebook post any more is pictures, occasionally you have that rare status update with only words, but it doesn’t happen often. I guess this is why my status updates only get attention from my family and none of my friends, not enough pictures. Its kind of scary that even adults these days basically need a picture book in-front of them in order to give what ever it is(whether it be about something trivial or really important) their full and complete attention. I really enjoyed reading this, I posted it to my facebok and twitter-something this good really needs to be shared.
Thank-you for writing this.
I agree with what you say in your post as it probably applies to most people. However, I scan through wall posts looking for personal status posts from family and friends , which I read all the way through. I also look for blog and article wall posts… if it’s a topic I’m interested in or posted from family or friends I read them and read them all the way through. I pay less attention to pictures unless they involve a topic I’m interested in or people I know.
I have known newspaper subscriptions and magazine subscriptions were going down for a number of years, attributed originally to the Internet. What I discovered at the end of 2011 was how little people read important communications about items they choose to be actively involved in.
I discovered that some people will simply not read e-mails or other communication if they are beyond a certain length. Some people are involved in so very many activities, that even though the e-mails specifically pertain a person’s commitment to an activity, if the messages are not very short, they may not get read. Many of these people use text messaging nearly exclusively.
This can provide a tough conundrum when parents drop off their children for a meeting and miss out on the verbal communication and question and answer session. Elementary-aged children are not usually very effective at communicating much detailed information or may forget or some information may be specifically directed at the adults as action items for them. This results in e-mails with all those details being sent to the parents who did not attend the meeting as well as those who did as a reminder of action items. Those who did not attend may very well not read the e-mail, either.
Another disturbing trend in communication is that of parents having so many activities that they do not communicate that they will not attend a meeting or will be late. There are some times when it simply cannot be helped. Habitual tardiness does become a problem for the leader and the others involved. Either the leader waits for the habitually late person so that the meeting is not disturbed and he or she does not have to repeat information or the person comes in late and disturbs the proceedings and misses key information.
I do read what I set out to read. I find myself having numerous tabs open at any given time so that I can go back and read the details and digest the information I am interested in learning about. If the information was too long to read at a particular point, I leave it up until I have a chance to read it later.
I do believe that folks today need executive summaries. Here are some ways to help with that.
Write what you want to write. Then go back and do the following as appropriate for the communication:
1) Create subheadings in bold, italic, and / or a changed font above paragraphs
2) Create bullets at the top of the document referring to those subheadings or, if creating a newsletter, incorporate a table of contents that links to the headings and subheadings
3) If there are actionable items, decisions made, or questions to be answered, make those items bold in the context of the communication and use designated colors consistently to change the font of those specific items. For example, actionable items might be in red. Decisions made may be in green. Questions to be answered may be in purple. This helps people get to the nitty gritty quickly and efficiently so they do not overlook the document entirely.
4) Enumerate items to be accomplished
5) Use white space effectively. It is more visually appealing, easier to read in general, and easier on the eyes when there is sufficient white space in a communication. (Dunn & Bradstreet’s Better Business Writing course.)
6) Use a large enough font to make it easier for people to read the communication. Note: Studies have found that Arial is the best font for online communication, but Times New Roman is the best font for printed communication. Use at least Arial 10 or Times New Roman 12 to help people to be able to read the document well. If you have older clientele, use even larger fonts. They will appreciate the effort.
7) Be aware that on highly personal topics – delivering bad news or items of personal differences in point of view – that those can become highly charged for someone with a different point of view. They may only see a title or scan a small part of the information and their emotions may take over in such a way that they lose the context or meaning of what is being said. Do try to keep a level head in responding to those circumstances. If necessary, draft something with emotion, then delete it altogether. Do not be tempted to respond emotionally. Write a point by point, but not pointed, reply to address the issues brought up by the other person. Ask questions to get clarification so that the two of you are not miscommunicating based on semantics and the way you understand a term versus the way they understand a term. Ask them what they mean by …
8) If you cannot write something nice because you feel insulted or personally attacked or if you can tell by the other’s statements that they will only resort to personal attacks, sometimes the best thing to do is say nothing. It saves you time and effort. It may save a friendship. There may be times that a very bad situation can no longer be overlooked and must be addressed. Cover those in prayer first.
Thank you for your suggestions on driving communication. I will try to include these in the development of my web presence.
God bless you and your ministry, JoJo.
Tammy
All EXCELLENT points, Tammy, and things that we teach in our Art of Eloquence communication studies. It used to be THE answer to getting more people to read the articles and materials one puts out. Unfortunately, while it does help to a small degree today, it does not answer the issue that more and more people don’t read if they see that it has more than a few lines of text, especially if they have to click a link to read it. It is a sad commentary on the busy-ness of the times and the economy’s demands that the average person simply will not read something with longer text because they don’t believe they have the time to do so.
I have noticed that some blogs seem to have shorter posts than they used to. I wonder if there is a cycle starting: People want shorter things to read, so writers write shorter pieces, then readers want even shorter things to read, and so on…
It’s similar to what I was taught in college about children’s attention spans – “Sesame Street” made its scenes short so that kids would be able to focus on each one in its entirety, then other shows started to do the same, then kids’ attention spans got even shorter, so shows’ scenes got shorter, and so on. Now even adults can’t go longer than about 12 minutes before needing a “commercial break!”
That’s a very good point, Kimberly! It seems it started some time ago, but just recently there has been a significant drop as well.
I really loved this. Felt the sting of conviction but that should lead to change. Thanks for writing.
Thanks for commenting. If you share this link with others, come back and post that you have done that so you’ll be entered into our contest.
I’m not one who normally posts on articles, but I agree with a lot of what you say in your post. However, I do believe there are a variety of reasons that people don’t read long posts.
One major reason, I believe people don’t read longer posts (other than busyness), is that they have not been trained to read. They may be literate readers, however, many schools don’t present material which challenges students to read through to the end. Textbooks present short snippets of information, and ofter the homework and/or the testing doesn’t require the student to read the material. They just do the study questions at the end of the chapter, and read enough information to find the answer to the question. They don’t have to think.
Another key cultural problem Americans have, is decreased attention spans. Children/Adults are not taught to develop a habit of attention because they play computer games whose images change quickly. Although a child/adult may play a video game for an hour, but the images change so the child is continually adjusting to new stimuli. In addition, playing a video game doesn’t challenge the child to think or form ideas as a result of what they are doing, they just get the “rush” of playing a fast-paced game.
Even adults’ attention spans are decreasing. Have you ever noticed how long the snippets of news are on the news channel? Or, what about the commercials between your favorite TV show? The snippets are shorter, with more visual stimuli to keep the person’s attention.
In addition, people make rather quick decisions about the “value” of the information presented, so if there is no “hook” which grabs someone’s interest, it is unlikely they are going to take the time to read further. Perhaps, this phenomenon is due to the fact that people are presented with so much information, they have to pick and choose what they can read. Since many people haven’t developed that habit of attention, they are looking for an exciting or particularly relevant “hook” which encourages them to read to the end.
You make some excellent points, Cheri. However, these issues you speak of haven’t changed much in the last year, especially not for adults. What has changed drastically in the last year is that people have had to struggle more for their income which means they are busier than ever focusing on and working toward making a living.
I like how you put that together for me, it makes perfect sense. And I really appreciate the time you took to write it out. I’ll use it! Thanks!
There are many times I’ve skipped reading something I know would benefit me or go many days before responding to emails because I know I won’t be able to focus. I have 3 young kids at home, and even as I’m writing this my 1 1/2 year old is making it hard to concentrate 😛 When I get the chance I will go back to bookmarked articles or other things of interest and read them. Or respond to emails with responses that make sense.
The article was a very interesting read. Thanks for doing the experiment and posting it! I’ve noticed the same thing about people not reading messages all the way through. It can be a headache when trying to organize something. Details are so important! It might be a little more work to read everything, but it can save yourself from trouble later on.
(sharing the link on Twitter!)
Fastidious respond in return of this issue with firm arguments and describing
all concerning that.
Thanks, Sylvia.
Carol, thanks for taking the time to share this with me and for sharing the link. I can appreciate how difficult it is for parents of young kids having had two myself. You are exactly correct that taking the time to read it over the first time will help us in the long run.
Hi JoJo. Read the WHOLE thing.
I then subscribed to your newsletter and blog. I ‘liked’ your ART of ELOQUENCE Facebook page. I shared your FB page and your Fire Sale on my ministry page on Facebook. It is my prayer, that you do well on the sale, gain so many new followers, and your health is restored. You are making a difference and have so much to offer others.
Madelen McLaughlin
Christian Women International
Thank you, Madelen. I appreciate that very much.
So much truth here! I am definitely sharing this article. I think a large problem is the signal-to-noise ratio, though… there is just SO MUCH, it is overwhelming, and sometimes it is difficult to figure what is worth our time and what isn’t.
Thanks for sharing it, Christy!
It’s true. People live life in a blur, and they’re too exhausted to read. Sadly, this also applies to Scripture and time spent with God. There is no way to fully walk by the Spirit if we are not being fed by God’s Word.
Thank you for taking the time to research this and share. I hadn’t thought about the not taking time issue for the important posts and needed the reminder to slow down for the important in all areas of my life. Our Family waits through the credits, too.
That really does explain why the more short, shallow things I post get liked, while the more thought provoking stuff is ignored.
I am guity of reading the short snippets first. Sometimes it is because I just have a few minutes, so I read the short ones and go back to read the long ones later, especially emails. I’d like to run that experiment myself.
Great article! I agree with your findings. I find there is some sort of an age gap as to who actually responds and reads what in a lot of cases. Older generation (50-60’s) are still using email and send lots of them. Those in the younger generation seem to have short attention spans. They won’t read through emails or are quick to misinterpret them.
Guilty as charge, but in my defense I read a LOT of stuff everyday. Most of the important stuff I do read. I’ve picked up a trick of reading the first couple paragraphs, the scrolling all the way down to the bottom and reading the last two or three paragraphs. If they are going to hide something it will be a blip hardly mentioned in passing.
Then, I decide if I’m going to read the entire thing.
But really these day, most articles are four or five paragraphs. They are turning us into morons.
Thank you for this article. I ACTUALLY read through the whole post and I even have ADHD!
You kept me very interested and I agree that I am also guilty of not reading through all articles people post online, depending upon how much time I have. I also don’t always watch youtube videos if they are more than 1 minute or so long. 
I also want to thank you for your Veggie Tale link that you had with your Easter activities from your newsletter! Believe it or not, I actually clicked on it and watched the whole thing! 
I do love reading your newsletters though when I get them in my inbox. Praying your health improves… 
You don’t need to post this, but I just posted and wanted you to know that my email address for your newsletter is faithful@jefnet.com. I really am a subscriber.
I agree whole-heartedly JoJo… there is a VERY sad trend this past year of images over content. I am noticing it in blogs too. I also notice (and get discouraged by) the lack of response to blog posts I *do* make. It’s not that I have all the time in the world either, but if I post something, chances are it is good, or somewhat important. Now… that being said, there are times I just post fluff myself. Why? Well, because. I find that if ALL you post is deep and heavy stuff, it’s tiring, and sometimes, in my busy life of four kids, two exchange students, a crazy dog, two neurotic cats, a patient husband, a house to care for, a business to run, etc etc etc… I need fluff. Just like I need chocolate now and then. 😉
Be blessed this Easter, JoJo…
Shannon
I admit to being more likely to share, comment, or ‘like’ a meme or a short, often humorous post than an article or link. I do think time plays a role in this, but other contributing factors I believe are compassion fatigue, feeling overwhelmed with the vast problems and conflicts in the world, and a feeling of helplessness that comes from doubting we can make a difference.
In my own case, I found that I ‘liked’ and shared several adorable animal photos and funny memes, all of them generating more ‘likes’ and shares. Meanwhile I kept seeing the name of Saeed Abedini pass along my news feed, without giving it much attention. After if had gone by several times I finally clicked a link out of curiosity, and was horrified to realize what was happening to this man. I shared the articles as they came across from that point on with passionate pleas for others to read. As you can imagine, most scrolled past it, just as I had done.
The current issue I need to explore is the Monsanto food debacle. I can say that part of why I haven’t looked into it up to now have to do with the reasons stated above, particularly, feeing like it is too big of a problem for me to make a difference. It feels overwhelming, and is much more pleasant to watch funny animal videos. After enough posts by others though, I finally come to the realization that it’s time to take note and pay attention to the real world.
Forgot to mention, I did share this on my FB page.
Well said, Jo-Jo. This reminds me of the worksheets we used to get at school that had a list of directions. The first one said to read all of the instructions before beginning. Then there were a lot of busywork type of activities. The last one said to put your name on the paper and skip everything else. Invariably, most of the class started doing the list without reading it first, while two or three students wrote their names and then sat there waiting for everyone else to figure it out. We are all busy, and the simple graphics sharing an idea are nice, but sometimes we need to get more meat out of a story. I admit I usually don’t have time to read the many newsletters I subscribe to, but occasionally I have a free afternoon and can sit down with a cup of tea and see what I’ve been missing. ~ Terri G.
I didn’t really think about how few original thoughts are actually making it onto Facebook. I did notice that there are a lot of photos floating around.
It’s sad that this is all so true. I’m just as guilty. I tend to read the headlines and follow up on what seems important or most interesting later. Same with emails and occasional blog posts. I’ll glance through it and figure I got the gist of it…..It was the person who shared this story that got me to read the whole thing. If she shares something at all I KNOW it has value because she doesn’t share just anything. She only shares worthwhile posts, stories and articles. I’m really glad she shared this. Duly noted and I’ll be keeping a better eye on myself.
Thank-you for the reminder. For me some of those meme’s are getting annoying. They take up real estate and time because of the multiple times they show up. I like the simple two liners that help me prioritize my ever growing reading interests. Information overload!
I’ll have to be honest your post has sat here in a tab on my computer precisely because I did not have time to read it at first. With three small kids at home I often get a few minutes to myself will sit down on Facebook and look through opening anything I want to read later in (yet) another tab. It drives my husband nuts because I’ll have a screen full of tabs. But I know there was something there I wanted to read and I will get back to it. So there they stay.
When I do read, I try to read thoroughly and I try to respond thoughtfully. I usually reread my responses that I type so I know they make sense. I know my time is valuable so I’m trying really hard to pay that courtesy to others. Especially my kids. Which is why they have my attention first.
Thanks for the articles. I have observed what you have observed and so eloquently pointed out in the article regarding the lack of attention to reading. I must be an oddity because I find the proliferation of pictures and little blurbs or one-liners coming across my FB screen to be aggrevating and tend instead to scroll quickly through the pictures to find something with more meat to it that I can read. The little quickie blips are just that, aggrevating blips – most of which do not stick.
Is it possible that in changing our blogs or advertising down to tiny blips and blurbs we are playing to the needs of a largely attention deficit society and mindset? There is great truth in the statement that “readers are leaders and leaders are readers.” The fact is, most of society in North America has been dumbed down and I can’t help but wonder if the “leaders” of today are also those who are not well read, which is why there are so many problems as a result of the blind leading the blind? Or, perhaps, the leaders are readers and there is an agenda to keep the masses uninformed and in an attention deficit approach to life?!! It behooves the literate to educate the masses.
By the way, we at JOY Center of Learning have been recommending Art of Eloquence resources for many years. Excellent products you offer.
Thank you all for taking the time to post your thoughts and kind words about my article. I’m so pleased it was so enthusiastically received. Thanks, also, for taking the time to post the link for your friends to read and on your blog to share with your readers.
Congratulations to April who is our winner in this month’s contest! This month’s blog post also has a contest so please go there and post your thoughts and share it’s unique message with your friends as well.
Maxine, you make a very good point! I’ve long wondered if we have made many things too easy for ourselves in modern times-not just reading. Despite the fact that fewer people take the time to read these days, I continue to feel that I have cheated my readers if I haven’t thoroughly covered a topic. You may notice that this article as well as today’s April article are both rather long. 😀
As I point out here in this article, I do special things in order to entice my readers to take the time to read my materials like breaking them up into sections with headings for skimmers. However, I continue to offer my full commentary and rarely post what folks would consider fluff.
Check out my newest blog post on what I feel is a problem with April Fool’s Day that negatively affects interpersonal communication. http://artofeloquence.com/april-fool/