At Wired, Steven Johnson rebuts the idea that we are truly living in a snack culture, with “Snacklash: In Praise of the Full Meal“:
Snack culture is an illusion. We have more of everything now, both shorter and longer: one-minute movies and 12-hour epics; instant-gratification Web games and Sid Meiers Civilization IV. Freed from the time restrictions of traditional media, we’re developing a more nuanced awareness of the right length for different kinds of cultural experiences. You don’t need an hour and a half of Saturday Night Live when you can get two minutes of “Lazy Sunday” or “Dick in a Box.” For that kind of humor, the older, extended format turns out to be excessive. On the other hand, if you’re craving a really satisfying, complex crime narrative, two hours is too short. Yes, it sometimes seems as if we’re living off a cultural diet of blog posts and instant messages – until we find ourselves losing an entire weekend watching season three of The Wire. The truth is, we have more snacks now only because the menu itself has gotten longer.
The bold emphasis is mine, as its the clear takeaway for me: Find the right length and medium for the message… and don’t assume it’s always the shortest.
