polka dot suitcase

So I’ve heard the reports about shrinking attention spans in our kids (and in adults). About how, because of all the information overload, humans have started to want just the facts. And fast. Otherwise our attention wanders, our eyes glaze, and we’re either a) thinking about something else already or b) just slipping into a coma.

Guess this is what it feels like to be getting older, because this bugs me.

I was trying to find a kid-friendly acronym to illustrate a point, and I came across a massive list of texting shorthand and Internet acronyms. Some of which, I’ll admit, I use myself, LOL. But there are others on this list…IWBAPTAKYBIFSTA? Uh, it took some concentration just now for me to type all that. (“I…will…buy…a…”) Seems like it would be faster just to type the whole thing out. (For fellow oldsters, that stands for “I will buy a plane ticket and kick your butt if you say that again.” It’s also LTR…like, totally rude.)

See, maybe it’s the female in me (also heard the studies about how my gender uses thousands more words every day than males). But I like hearing a good story with lots of details. I don’t want to be rushed through a conversation or an afternoon with someone I like. It’s like I’m trying to cook something in the microwave that really tastes far better when prepared in the crock pot. I like information, but give it to me at a pace less than mach speed, okay?