In this age of “I want it now and I want it even sooner than that if possible” I’ve noticed I have succumbed to an impatient trend. I’m thankful that video-based sites like youtube.com and break.com didn’t exist when I was in college because my grades certainly would have suffered. It was bad enough when my roommate and I ordered every cable channel one semester and I got a 2.0 GPA. Needless to say we cut back on the premium channels the next semester.
Someone on the radio once mentioned that even when it’s your intention to only see the video someone sent you in an email, there’s that inviting filmstrip of related videos that are too tantalizing not to click on. The next thing you know you’ve watched 40 minutes of mindless tripe, albeit fun rubbish.
What’s odd is that even if I get into a Video Vortex like this and can’t get out, I still get impatient if a video is over 5 minutes long. It’s as if I can’t make that kind of time commitment to being entertained. Every time I get a link and the page loads, I look to the bottom right to see how much total time is in the video. If it’s less than 5 minutes, I don’t fret. If it’s over 5 minutes sometimes I’ll close the browser and make plans to see it at a later time.
Is there really a huge difference between 5 and 8 minutes when it comes to watching an online video? Not really. Maybe it’s kind of like the psychological difference between something costing $9.99 and it being $10.00. All I know is that I demand to be entertained and in as short a time as possible. We truly live in a Microwave Society where Time is Everything. I’m not saying it’s the best way to live; in fact I could afford to slow down and enjoy life at a slower pace. It’s odd because I think nothing of watching a 2 ½ - 3 hour movie, yet put a 9 minute video clip in front of me and I start to feel anxious, almost wanting the video to be half over already.
My friend John’s blog’s motto sums it up best – “Fuck you, Internet, ENTERTAIN me!” Were it my tagline, it would be “Entertain Me concisely, in a short, yet effective, manner” which of course is ironic since the title isn’t concise and rather redundant.