i often wonder about this, particularly because i am so inclined toward short-form writing. i’m pretty sure being a twitter user has something to do with it, as well as micro-blogging and social media in general. but i think what is perhaps even more pertinent is the fact that i was bred on twitter during its early days when it was still in beta.
back then, users were much more inclined toward sharing random tidbits, plucked from their daily experience, oftentimes without context. people still do that on twitter, but these days, the site is used predominantly for networking, photo-sharing and circulating information.
still, i cannot discount the fact that i am heavily inclined toward minimalism and simplicity, both in my everyday life and in my art. so those are definite factors. i’m guessing there are other factors involved, too, such as how visual media and mobile devices have wreaked havoc on people’s attention spans, including mine.
i for one pulled the plug on my cable service about 12 years ago, and to this day i do not own a TV. but i do have a smartphone, of course, and although i don’t keep my eyes glued to the screen, i find myself checking it more often than i would like. but i am very aware of this tendency, and i think that is important.
anyway, there’s much more to say about this, i’m sure, but i just wanted to share some of my thoughts about it. i think that in order tofully understand why i gravitate toward shorter-form writing, i would have to be psychoanalyzed, and what fun would that be?
