Fast-Paced Content Terrifies Me

A warm belated welcome to the attention economy

a man sits calmly with a cup of tea next to the train tracks on which a speed train flashes past, futuristic sci-fi cyberpunk sleek neon underground — by DALL·E

Too Slow

I just heard from a reviewer whose taste I generally share that this new show is slightly too slow for his liking. I shuddered at the use of the adjective: it is often the choice of people whose taste differs vastly from mine. I was on guard at once, thinking that this need for fast-paced drama might behave like a virus that invades our entertainment preferences. Perhaps it will be me next month who will feel that a book is too slow. Perish the thought: I might have already judged other works this way!

The Priorities

Personally, fast has never been high in my order of priorities. I have always found speed intrinsically flawed regarding content consumption: the more you ingest, the less you savour. I daresay reading one book and fully comprehending it while enjoying the prose is far more beneficial than skimming through ten of them. Yet, we are in the world of speed and quantity. The faster you go, the more you do, the better you are. I must admit to relishing the reward of a desirable outcome achieved only through a frenzy. The stress, the anxiety, the adrenaline… it all makes sense when we reach where we needed to be in time. However, I would not hesitate to trade every such reward for the certainty of calm and peace of mind.