What is your attention span?
I feel that the vast number of digital articles, blogs, email campaigns etc. has changed (re-framed?) our attention span. Have you noticed, glued to a screen, how much reading you do in a day? Would you say you dive in or skim read? Do you still enjoy reading for pleasure? Is your attention span the same as it was 10 or 15 years ago?Neuroscientists have discovered that reading a novel can improve brain function on a variety of levels.Christopher Bergland, Psychology TodayRecent reports show that Americans are reading less each year. No doubt many of us lack the time, but what most irks me is we don’t aim high with our attention spans. After all, we can click our way out of reading anything digital. Before we know it we’ve therefore opened 5 pages that take us in 5 directions. Or we extricate – grab the bullet points and go.
If you’re an average reader, I’ve got your attention for 15 seconds, so here goes: We are getting a lot wrong about the web these days. We confuse what people have clicked on for what they’ve read. We mistake sharing for reading. Tony Haile. Time Magazine
Has Everything Written Been Dumbed-down?
As a writer, I’m reading for research purposes more than for the joy of the story. I run my written work through editing software and sometimes through editors. In fact, one client wants the tone and syntax to be at eighth grade level understanding. You should know that ‘dumbing it down’ is often a key component to online writing.
I do completely understand this. Online equals access to a wider audience – yes you millennials. It also means that built into many pieces is a guess that you won’t actually read what you’re reading. You’ll skim or look for the bullet points. It’s like going to the Grand Canyon, taking a selfie to show your followers and saying “I just explored this natural wonder!”.
I’m trying to achieve a different intellectual balance in spite of my enthusiasm for creative and SEO writing. Truth told my eyes get tired after 8 hours of typing and staring at a computer screen. In addition, some of the books that I’ve picked up through book club recommendations (not the ones below) have disappointed me. They seem to have the same flavor as dumbed down web-based pieces, which does nothing for me. At least, nothing stimulating to my intellect.
What is on Your Reading List? Here’s Mine
Recently I’ve picked up a few noteworthy novels to share with you. So far, I’m 3/4 into All the Light We Cannot See and find it engrossing. For my taste, it has great character development and the chapters flow from one to the next. Consequently, I never feel like I’ve lost my place and always want to pick it up for more. I’m not a huge fan of punchy digital copy that has 3 words in a sentence – though I understand it. If you use any editing software, you can achieve this result. Yet I have spoken with women my age and we feel this style targets a younger (perhaps less professional) audience. Here are some features that I look for a novel:
- Characters I can understand – not necessarily relate to
- Author focus – not too many tangents
- A plot I can follow and identify – good story telling
- Vocabulary that makes me go to the dictionary a few times – but isn’t pseudo intellectual
- Has some meaning to it – I am less drawn to fluff and more to substance (remember Steinbeck’s East of Eden?)
- Well researched if the goal is to address a specific time period
- If auto-biographical, not egotistical
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