• by Cory Treffiletti , Featured Contributor, April 15, 2003

When MTV launched a long time ago, there were studies concerning the impact of the "quick-cut" editing style and how it would affect our culture. This 3-second attention span has had a drastic impact on our world, and most importantly it has affected our ability to create effective advertising.

News is served to us in rolling stock-tickers and 30 second synapses. Movies have adopted the quick-cut editing style and handi-cam look of documentary films, and the user has been less affected by advertising as we see response rates dwindle and the most effective campaigns are forced to surround us during all hours of the day and night in order to be effective. The price of our attention ventures higher and higher, even while the cost of a GRP stays the same or drops.

The Internet is no exception to this. As a matter of fact, the Internet is the most impressive example of the "give-it-to-me-now" attitude that pervades our culture. The Internet provides information at all hours of the day, easily accessible from anywhere, no wires. Our advertising has already evolved to the point where we need to have ads flying around the page screaming "Look at me, I'm of interest to you" in order to be seen and to be considered effective.

What does this mean for the future?

One of two things will happen. We all know the world is cyclical, and it is extremely possible that our lives will begin to slow down in the next ten years. Culture will reflect our need to relax a little. We will all sit around and watch the 4 hour extended director's cut of The Hours and be happy with it. Television shows will take two or three episodes for a plot to unfold. We will sit around and read a good book, and we will pay attention to the world around us as we see that our lives matter and those around us matter just as much. If this happens, then our advertising will have the opportunity to be more impactful. Advertising will play off of deeper emotions rather than purely shock value. And the effective cost of an eyeball will be higher as the consumer takes their time.

The opposite of this is of course reminiscent of a scene from Minority Report where the world spoke to you with messages targeted at you every minute of the day. The world will be based on eye-scans and tracking technology that will keep track of every exposure across all forms of media that drive you to a reaction.

Which do you hope for? Which do you predict? How will it affect your daily lives and the role of your career? These are the types of questions that we should be asking ourselves from time to time if we are to predict the future. Plan accordingly and you won't be surprised.