Have you ever heard someone say that people’s attention span is getting shorter and shorter? Unfortunately, that’s become a true statement thanks to the rise of the digital age. As we continue to dive into the digital age, scientists have noticed a drop in attention span across the board. TV has distracted and entertained us since the 50’s, computers became a tool used not only for entertainment, but for work as well. Smart phones have hooked us to the point where most of our communication with friends and family, banking, entertainment, social media, dating, ordering food or groceries, paying bills, etc. all happen on your phone. It’s no surprise that as we continue to dive into the digital world, or attention spans have changed because of it. “The average attention span of a human being has dropped from 12 seconds to eight — one second less than the attention span of a goldfish, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information”. (Robert Rice) As a writer your first thought is: fantastic! Let me try to summarize these beautiful thoughts and ideas so that readers get hooked into it (or stay hooked) As a reader, your first thought is: Ok, that makes sense! Our smartphone, and computers have created an insatiable thirst for instant gratification and as writers, designers, content creators, etc. we have had to modify our approach to creating content. Mainly, that content must be straight to the point nowadays to grab reader’s attention and keep it there. There couldn’t be a more straightforward situation to describe Zinser’s paradox, which states that writing as a skill at a professional level is needed to bring readers in, but that the tone of the author is what keeps them there. “’Tone” is the feeling and reactions of a subject of content, portrayed through language and intonation of language”. (www.palmbeachcontentco.com)
Writing itself is a talent. One that I admit I must keep improving on. However, there are extremely talented writers out there that express themselves eloquently and it’s on modern writers now to be able to take that expressive writing and use the most impactful parts to condense what they write to fit writing for web content. It seems as if an already difficult talent has gotten more complex because of the digital age, but that does not mean that writers should sacrifice quality for quantity. Finding the right balance between expressiveness and understanding your audience and how they are wired is key to becoming a successful writer for web content. “People read differently online than they do when they read print materials — web users typically scan for information. In a study of online reading behavior Site exit disclaimer, Jakob Nielsen found that “on the average webpage, users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit; 20% is more likely”. (A. S. for P Affairs)
We know that there is a difference between long form and web reading and writing, and while we must ensure we stay on our game as writers and continue figuring out ways to retain our level of expression, we must also conform to the norms of the digital/web experience. We do this not to just conform to the norm, but because it has been tested and tried until proven too. Even in UX, which is my profession, everything from designing to UX writing caters to the user, and as writers we should think the same way specifically when it comes to writing for the web. While we are writing for ourselves in the sense of being content with what we write, we also must keep the audience in mind as well as current writing standards.
Sources:
Rice, R. (2015, May 21). Instant gratification and web writing success. Wealthy Web Writer. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.wealthywebwriter.com/2015/05/instant-gratification-and-web-writing-success/.
http://www.palmbeachcontentco.com. (2017, October 11). Using tone in communication for effective writing. Palm Beach Content Co. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.palmbeachcontentco.com/blog/using-tone-in-communication.
Affairs, A. S. for P. (2016, December 7). Writing for the web. Usability.gov. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/writing-for-the-web.html.
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