Information overload is getting out of control! That has most likely been said before, but regardless, it is true. News is competing with news, advertisements are wrestling other advertisements, and it is all for the attention of the consumer. Do they really expect us to absorb all of this?
Let’s take Yahoo News for example. You click on an article. Before you begin reading it, at the top there are links to other pages and at least one banner ad. To the right of the article there are animated ads (some of which pop out to cover the article you came to read), links to other ads, videos of different information, and scores of other pictures and links which have nothing to do with the article at hand. All of this doesn’t even include the links to other articles which are scattered throughout the article you are reading.
You don’t get your news online? Okay, let’s consider television broadcast news. As the report is being told, the station’s insignia is on the bottom of the screen along with a banner consisting of textual information. This doesn’t bother you? How about the commercial breaks every 5-10 minutes?
You’re more of a magazine person? How do you like the ad opposite the article you are trying to read fighting for your attention? Not to mention the ads and pictures that are included on the same page. The ads might be nicely done, but are you reading your article? It would probably take your less time to read if it had your full attention.
Advertisements are how the media gets paid. Great, but do they have to overload the page with them? News media are supposed to carrier out their reports with the people’s best interest in mind. Would you say it is in our best interest to have our brains overloaded with information? The thought is enough to cause a head ache.