Attention Span

It's reality when stating that this generation has a shorter attention span, but this generation is exposed to a different lifestyle. The people of this generation grew into an environment with technology. Children watch television on the regular, listen to music, play on a parent's iPad, or even use the computer for homework. Though, children decades ago would go outside to play with friends, enjoy the day at the park, and homework was completed by hand. Even adults have advanced to a technological lifestyle, they check the weather or email their friends on their smartphones. With technology advancing every day, we as people become more absorbed in it. 

Before this generation, people did everything themselves, whether it was brewing your own coffee, using a paper map, created games with your friends at the park and anything that didn't involve technology. People didn't have access to such advanced technology, so they didn't rely on it. Though, when technology started to advance, it turned heads and curiousity took over. It was something new, something exciting, and offered a great benefit; it made your lifestyle easier. People didn't have to take that extra minute or effort to accomplish a simple task. People run on food, not machines, and they eventually tire out. It takes time and effort to anything and everything, whether it's cooking food or leaving early to catch the bus. 

If there was an easier and faster way to complete the daily routine, people would jump for the chance and that's why people become highly attached to technology. It's easy and fast, which is convenient and less time consuming and people want that. There isn't anyone who wants to spend their time stressing out, working, or wasting their time when they do not have to. People want to live and enjoy their life. Technology has allowed people to actually live because they don't need to spend unnecessary time and effort. Technology has made our lifestyles easier and gave people more time to do whatever they choose to do. Relying on technology benefits us in many ways, but the major benefit would be saving us time. Therefore, people spend less time thinking about what they are going to do, which decreases our attention to that task. This attachment to technology has been increasing over time and continues to because of it's great benefits. 

People start to pay attention to more of what they view, but they spend less time on each. This habit becomes normal and that's why people can't focus on one topic so easily; they're not used to such demanding attention. Advertisements are meant to be quick and easy, so people can receive them well. It doesn't matter whether a person views 5 or 10,000 advertisements a day, people, in a way, have trained to move their attention span constantly and quickly. 

Advertisements that are more time consuming can be useless because people have trained for quick advertising. They know what they like and they'll continue viewing an advertisement only if they find it interesting. Technology offered people more time by taking up less of their time and effort. Social media like Facebook, Youtube or Twitter offer news, updates, entertainment, etc., and it comes in an all-in-one package. People become absorbed in these effortless entertainments with all the short distractions from every direction, where they don't even notice how time-consuming they really are. They become so absorbed, where their attraction to them become part of their lifestyle that's too important to ever let go. 

It's not whether there are too many advertisements everywhere, but whether the advertisements consume too much of our time. People don't want to waste their time on an advertisement about a product they may not even purchase; it would be a waste of time and effort and people don't want to take that chance. If advertisements are short, quick and easy, people receive the message without effort and very little time. That's what people want, advertisements that don't waste their time. We have naturally trained ourselves because of technology, to quickly move our attention from one to another. This technological lifestyle is this generation's lifestyle. 

This is an example of how people are living a technological lifestyle. This coffee brewing system is a two-in-one, it brew your coffee with a quick touch and many different kinds of coffees to choose from. All the choices in the comfort of your own home, no need to head down 5 blocks to that special cafe or spending time you don't have to brew a hot cup of coffee. 

People don't even wash their dishes anymore, they have this machine do the work. Ah, the time and effort saved, now you can take a nap or do that homework that's due Monday morning. This is another example of how people are living a technological lifestyle. 

This smartphone offers the weather, emails, music, entertainment, news, stocks, a camera, calendar, etc. all in the palm of your hands. The first and last object people will touch throughout their day because it offers so much. It's easy to use and everything you need is there, which makes gives you quick access for anything needed. This is where people can check updates of their social media websites as well. With such convenience from this device, people become attached and use it for almost everything. I don't blame them, it's quite distracting. 

These are older advertisements, both containing long body text or great detail. My question is, did people really take the time to view it all? This would prove that people had a higher attention span before, where they took the time to actually read an advertisement. 

Though, these are present day advertisements, more simple and easy to read. Possibly, advertisement agencies started to create simple and short, yet meaningful advertisements based on the new generations of audience. 

It's understood that some older advertisements do not all contain long text or great detail, but it has become more common to keep it simple and meaningful. Advertisements created throughout the years have become more simple and clean, mostly because people don't want to take the time or effort to view 5,000 advertisements every single day.