NBC'S CHIEF WHITE HOUSE correspondent and political director, Chuck Todd, recently did a Q&A with RealClearSports.com.He mentioned that television programming is built to appeal to an audience with attention deficit disorder.
"ESPN, on television, has always seemed to be ahead in dealing with societies ADD issue," he said. "We’re an ADD society now. We’re entering an age in which there’s no more context."
My question to you is this: does television programming provide you info that you can absorb quickly because people's habits are changing? Or are they actually creating/ perpetuating an attention deficit disorder society?
Or did you quit reading this because it was too long?
10 comments:
I believe the reason for the lack on context on television programs today is certainly in order to keep the attention of viewers. This is vital seeing as media is a business. Programs are trying to pack the shows with so much content in so little time that nothing has any depth anymore. It saddens me that it has come to this, however i don't think they're creating an ADD society. I think it is partly to blame on the fast pace society in the first place. -- Jessa Filan
-- Jessa Filan
I agree with the above post. A lot of television shows are do lack depth, but in an age where everything is offered to you at the push of a button, people might get tired of waiting around watching some long overly complex plot unfold. So the television programs are changing with the times they give their audience quick information so that they can quickly move through their daily lives.
I feel this question is more like a "what came first the chicken or the egg" type question. On one hand, society breeds "ADD"- we have constant stimuli all around us on a daily basis, from advertisements in the subway and highways, to the ipod craze, to cell phones with instant messaging AND e-mail AND internet, to, yes, television. However, television sees this trend, and capitalizes on it to one of the utmost intents. Television is by far the most "sensitive" to this trend, from scrolling news stories (that are usually covered within the segment anyway), to 6 minute segments of program between commercials, and even the structure of most entertainment programs- at least 1/4 of each segment is dedicated to showing a preview of what is to come after the commercials, and what happened before the commercials. So, honestly, who knows? But if you are about to point the finger at television, you need to at least acknowledge everything else that displays and/or continues this ADD trend.
There are so many distractions on TV to keep people glued to the screen. I feel bad for kids. They watch shows that completely over stimulate their minds and get in trouble when they can't sit still for six hours in school. I think parents should monitor how much TV they're kids are watching more, becasue too long is...well...too much.
It seems its just for the entertainment purpose, to keep short attention spanned people focused and the major details they want to display. I think ADD can develop all on it's own in people, and having a show that caters to the disorder isn't a half bad idea.
I don't think TV causes ADD. I don't think it would help someone deal with it and learn to control it but I wouldn't say it causes it. Reading a book might be a better idea.
There are so many distractions on TV today and it is changing many things around us. for the next genaration, there going to be a lot of issues about television
LOL, just before I was going to quit reading because it was too long, I decided to stick around. And I certainly think that television nowadays has encouraged this now "ADD Society." I think this is definetley spun from the mass variety of channels and shows that come on T.V. It is so easy to get bored and change the channel because that is available to us and we have gotten extremely comfortable with that. I admit it, I am a little ADD when it comes to watching t.v, not gonna lie. If something bores me I change the channel.
I don't think there is a problem with modern day television. I like how there are so many options and channels to choose from so if I do get bored watching something I can quickly change to a station that will get my attention. There are a lot of channels that I do not watch ,and never plan on watching but I bet some people still enjoy them.
Kurt Mauro
people like to watch stuff that intrests them. so the more topics you cover, the more people might be intrested and stick around. i know that i like getting my news from the internet because i can choose what to read up on based on what interests me. maybe thats what tv is trying to do.
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