Hey there,

I remember a time before the internet, cell phones, and even pagers (beepers), so for me, content overload is definitely an issue. Never in my life have I ever had so much information available at my fingertips. For the daily news, I had to wait for the 5:00 News on television, or maybe something interesting came on the radio while I was driving. For any information about friends, I had to wait for the phone call… AND the phone was still attached to the wall back then.

Nowadays, there is too much information at any time of the day. I like my information to be given to me in small chunks, whether it be via reading an article or watching a video. I am busy all of the time, so I need to read fast or watch a quick video. I also like the information to be honest, genuine, and authentic. I like reading the facts about whatever it is, I do not have time for long narratives. For example, when I look up a recipe, I always click the “jump to recipe” link because I do not have time to read about any back story.

My current preference in television is watching documentaries. I value their commitment to honesty and truth. By showing real people and their experiences, I believe that documentaries can show empathy and connect people, and they are usually intellectually stimulating. Also, most documentaries are episodic and not long movies. When it comes to videos or audio (i.e,. podcasts), I feel the same way. I usually skip through long videos on social media or even a repeated news story on TV. I will listen to a good podcast if the content is engaging and produced well in order to hold my attention.

As a writer and instructional designer, I keep this in mind. I write all of my content in small paragraphs, and I make sure that everything is impactful, honest, and well-organized. I also make sure that my content is valuable and easy to read, especially when writing about any real-world challenges. I also like to focus on quality over quantity with my content.

For me, it is all about respect, value, and authenticity. I need to read and write something worth my time and attention, which is usually something that resonates with truth and real human experience."