Persistence Pays

Over the years, I have observed the attention span of modern Americans keeps getting shorter and shorter.

I think this is best defined with the recent evolution of Instagram Reels, Youtube Shorts, and Tik Tok Shorts.

Now I admit, I have no experience using Tik Tok.

BUT, I have tried out the whole “short” concept.

We have come to such a place that the internet is so full of distracting content the human being is left in a state of paralyses.

Any more, one can’t expect a viewer to sit past about 30 seconds of a video which has been created.

In fact, when learning about making Youtube videos and building an audience successfully, authors, coaches and content creator mentors all say the same thing. “If you haven’t hooked them by 30 (now actually 10) seconds, you will lose them”.

In other words, the adult content consumer can’t sit still to watch something that satisfies their lust for being entertained for more than 30 (10) seconds, so you better knock it out of the park in that short time frame or they are on to something else.

Enter, the concept “Video Short” or “Reel”.

Here an entire class of videos are now encouraged and being produced called Shorts or Reels. While you can make shorts and reels as long as 90 seconds, both Youtube and Instagram suggest keeping them to 15 or at the most 30 seconds in order to build a “following”.

Wow.

That’s pathetic in my book.

“…liked a message…”

I believe there is no greater way to demonstrate the degree to which the human being, in particular, the American human being has become distracted beyond compare than the IPhone technology wherein an IPhone user can simply “like” a message sent via text.

Is it me, or is it somewhat offensive when, after an attempt to text someone a meaningful word via text (in and of itself loathsome to some degree), one will receive back an automated text from an IPhone user “Jane Smith ‘liked’ a message”?

I’ve received these from IPhone friends. I’ll be honest, they drop down significantly on my list of people in whom I’ll invest time.

We have come to a place where discipline and persistence in pursuits is lacking and I believe this culture of “Gotta’ have it NOW or I give up…” is partially to blame.

Life flies by and most are immersed in this fast paced “entertainment” scrolling for hours through Instagram feeds or Youtube feeds watching “short” after “short” after “short”.

It’s how the algorithm is designed. It pulls you in and before you know it, 75 minutes have passed. And because of your addiction to the reels, you have had little time to respond appropriately to the various text messages you may have received. Thankfully, however, you have an IPhone so you can simply “like” all the messages, communicating to your friends and family that clearly, you are too busy to actually take the time to type back a response.

The Desert 5 Spot

This short attention span life causes one to miss special things, say, like, finding the Desert 5 Spot plant; an elusive desert wildflower sought after for photography.

It took us nearly a month to find one. And after the one, we found many. Fields of them in fact.

In this video I am going to talk to you a bit about my thinking on persistence and how it benefits us.

Thanks for being here and I hope life is well for you.

rob out