SUPER FAST answer needed.  that's the reason for amount offered,
and tip to follow for fast great answer.

i have to write a speech for an executive about
how is service plays to a 21st century need for speed.

we talked about attention spans shrinking. it's sort of
 a truism that MTV has caused societal spans to shrink.
i know that when i watch old movies, the PACING sometimes
stikes me as excruciatingly slow ... compared to how i felt
at the time.

but is there documentation ... PROOF ... that i could 
quote in a speech that americans in 2005 have shorter
attention spans than we used to have?

any other statistics on OTHER illustrations of speed
in our daily lives would also be welcome.

(e.g., automated tellers save 3 minutes on average
from what checking used to be ... actually this is a 
POOR example, because it's an OLD one from ... what? ...
15-20 years ago now? but just trying to illustrate
what i mean by "daily life" ... though MAIN question
concerns Joe/Jane Average's attention spans.)

 ???

mike

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 31 Jan 2005 15:59 PST

Hello mikeginnyc-ga,

I expected that it would be easy to find you the statistics you need
but with considerable digging I haven?t been able to come up with
solid research or statistics on the subject of the American attention
span. Most of the references are observational and anecdotal.

On the other hand, I?ve found lots of information that addresses the
issues you?re trying to quantify that take a different approach. The
point you want to illustrate is that speed is of the essence in
dealing with today?s consumer with a shortened attention span. The
business literature I?ve found recasts this problem as one of
competition for consumer attention. The concepts of ?attention
economy,? ?continuous partial attention,? and multi-tasking are just
some of the elements in how people interact with the world today.
Please let me know if research on these topics might suit your needs.

Here is a short selection of articles to illustrate the points my
research revealed.

http://www.sric-bi.com/Scan/attentionexperience.shtml
http://www-8.ibm.com/services/pdf/ten_strategies.pdf
http://www.ebookmall.com/ebook/100525-ebook.htm
http://www.accenture.com/xdoc/en/ideas/outlook/pov/AttentionManagementPoV_A4.pdf
http://joi.ito.com/archives/2004/03/29/continuous_partial_attention.html


I look forward to your clarification.

~ czh ~

---

Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 31 Jan 2005 16:54 PST

Hi!

I was able to find an article mentioning a study of TV effects on
attention span but these are for children.

Will this be ok?

Thanks!

---

Clarification of Question by mikeginnyc-ga on 31 Jan 2005 17:23 PST

first, THANKS for the fast reaction.

the first set of references you gave me, to be honest,
are wayyyyyyy too academic and of no use.

the kids' reference might be useful ...
maybe i can spin it as a sign of
where things are headed.

also .. you mentioned anecdotal references
to consumer tie i need.  please forward what
seem to be the best ones.

i'm disppointed by the reality of not finding
true "research" ... but i'll (gladly) take
whatever you can offer from the CONSUMER
part of view.

does that clarify?

mike

---

Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 31 Jan 2005 17:30 PST

Hi again mikeginnyc-ga!


Czh-ga and I (easterangel-ga) are two different researchers and have
different approaches to answering your question. Which one then would
you prefer?

Thanks!

---

Clarification of Question by mikeginnyc-ga on 31 Jan 2005 18:50 PST

my bad -- i didn't realize or notice that i could hear from 2 researchers at once.

to answer directly, i wish i could have BOTH, since neither is what i'd hoped for.

Most of Czh's stuff (the links) was too academic and theoretical, but
the "anectdotal" about consumers made me think MAYBE there was
something there i could use.

easter angel's thing about kids made me think, well maybe i could have
my executive extrapolate from kids to adult consumers.

if i had to choose only one, i'd pick easter angel's ... though
disappointed that all i'd get would be children's info.  but that's
what i'd pick. hope that helps!  thanks to you both for trying.

mike

---

Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 31 Jan 2005 20:25 PST

Hi again!

Upon reading your question once more, it seems that you were looking
not only for simple statistics about attention span but you also want
a comparison between a certain time period like for example: in 1980
this is the percentage in a study and then in the year 2000 this is
now the peercentage.

Is this the way you want the answer to be since I wasn't able to find
anything like this.

Maybe you would want to look at this article and see if it will be useful for you.

?Frequent TV viewers in early childhood were most likely to score in
the highest 10% for concentration problems, impulsiveness and
restlessness.?

?Every added hour of watching TV increased a child's odds of having
attention problems by about 10%. Kids watching about three hours a day
were 30% more likely to have attention trouble than those viewing no
TV.?

?Short attention span linked to TV Children show effects by age 7?
By Marilyn Elias
http://www.usatoday.com/educate/college/healthscience/articles/20040411.htm 


Thanks!

---

Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 31 Jan 2005 20:37 PST

Since you are in a hurry, I will open this to other researchers who
may have a way of giving out a much faster answer to this question.

Thanks!

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 31 Jan 2005 21:06 PST

Hello again Mike,

It would be very helpful to know who is the audience for the speech
you are writing. What are the main points your executive speaker will
be making? What will the audience care about? You said the consumer
perspective is important. Please say more about this. What kind of
products or services are you/the audience interested in?

You say that the information about attention span is important. The
information I found shows that many business and trade journals are
looking at the problem of short attention span from the perspective of
the challenge of information overload. Consumers/customers can?t pay
attention to whatever vendors are trying to give them because they?re
overwhelmed. I was able to find some statistics to illustrate this
point.

I?m sure I will be able to help you with your project if you tell me
more about the audience and your goals and objectives for the speech.
I look forward to your clarification.

~ czh ~

---

Clarification of Question by mikeginnyc-ga on 31 Jan 2005 22:54 PST

i'm starting to feel guilty now.
is there a way to DIVIDE compensation or tips?

-----
clarification - (first, in the spirit of *honest* clarification,
nothing thus far is really usable for me, so maybe this will help.)
-----

we're talking about BUSY consumers.
client is an imaging industry exec (think kodak, fuji, etc.)
audience for speech are retailers who develop pictures
in their stores (from camera shop owners to walmart)

client wants to show that consumers are busy, don't have
time or patience like they used to ... want options to get
something "off the check lists" fast

NOT using the word "convenience" ... the focus is SPEED

options include:

 * traditional: drive to retailers, have photos
  developed  from memory chip of new digital camera

* order on internet, photos available for pick up at retailer
  an hour later

* visit store w/ CD ... memory chip ... blue tooth telephone

* using new picture-cam telephone, wirelessly send image
 to store for development

retailers need to make investments (e.g., in in-store photofinishing
equipment) to be able to meet the needs of the "impatient" consumer
who wants problems dealt w/ FAST so he/she can move on to the next one.

"attention span", i realize, is not the only way to describe
(even if we couch findings x, y, z in that context.)

would welcome any simple, clear, vivid supports for consumers today
wanting to solve their problems faster ... again: can NOT (in the speech)
use the word "convenient"

if i can't get an answer NLT noon tuesday,
i will hope there's a way to close out the question
and offer payment/tip for the effort.
but i'll have to move on.

hoping this note helps!

mike

Hello again Mike,

Your clarification about who will be delivering the speech and who are
the target audience helped a lot. You framed your question in terms of
wanting to serve very busy consumers by delivering speedy, flexible
and convenient service. Since there wasn?t much useful information
available on the relevance of shortening attention spans, I took
another look to see what I could find about the digital photo
finishing industry and what customers expect in this changing
marketplace. I was able to find quite a lot of information, including
several expensive market research reports with recent statistics about
the market.  I think you will be able to put together some very
interesting facts to help motivate the photo finishing retailers
regarding the benefits of adopting new technology.

I?ve sorted the information I collected to help you with illustrating
the needs of the customer and the state of the market for the
retailers. Please don?t hesitate to ask for clarification if any of
this is confusing.

Best wishes for meeting your deadline for this speech.

~ czh ~


=========================================
CUSTOMER NEEDS ? DIGITAL PHOTO PROCESSING
=========================================

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?report_id=44894&t=o&cat_id=5
Digital Cameras: Strategies to Reach the Late Majority
Future Image Inc, Jan 2004, Pages: 96 

Here we are speaking of the dominant segment of the population that
enjoys the results of photography ? but only if they do not have to
think at all about the process. Each individually takes fewer
photographs than the enthusiast ? but en masse they account for a
significant majority of the photography industry?s overall revenues.

The mass market for consumer photography originated more than 100
years ago, when George Eastman took a pursuit for the practical
scientist and reinvented it as a broad-based hobby with the slogan:
"You press the button, we do the rest." With digital cameras,
unfortunately, the reality has been "you push the button? then you
connect the camera to a computer; then you run a software application
and try to figure out how to transfer your pictures from the camera to
your PC; then you connect a printer ? and waste a lot of money on
unsatisfactory prints before you get one right? or you take many
minutes per photo to upload images to a Web-based photofinishing
service, complete a 12- step process ? then wait 3-6 days for your
prints." And all that came after you first mastered the digital
camera, itself a too-complicated device. ["You figure out which of the
12 buttons to push?"]

***** This article makes some very interesting points about the needs
of he customer for ease of use in digital photography and the
frustration with the current state of the technology and the
consequent complexity in making prints from digital cameras.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3374/is_3_25/ai_98488783
Drug stores shoot to recapture photo-finishing sales in digital age -
General Merchandise

"We know the mainstream imaging consumer is accustomed to the ease,
convenience and affordability of film developing at retail," said Joe
Welsch, director of marketing for Fuji's retail digital
systems/commercial imaging division.

"The challenge for retailers and manufacturers is to make digital
camera developing just as easy, convenient and affordable as
traditional retail film developing and to drive this message home to
the consumer."

***** This article highlights the needs of photo finishing customers:
ease of use, convenience and affordability.

-------------------------------------------------


://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&q=retail+digital+photo+processing+customer+satisfaction
Camera Owners Vote for Printed Photos

It seems that prints are still the way that most of us want to view
our photographs, according to a recent IDC survey, with over 60% of
people saying that they preferred a physical print to viewing images
on a monitor. The number of megapixels is still by far the leading
criteria for deciding which digital camera to buy, and France takes
the most pictures out of all the European countries surveyed.

Consumers? desire to capture images using digital cameras has been
shown to be remarkably high, which reflects the ability to take,
re-take, and delete photos as desired. France is the most snap-happy
of the surveyed countries, with 37% of respondents saying they capture
more than 100 images a month, compared with an average of 24%. Of the
respondents questioned, 19% indicated that they print between 10% and
25% of the images they capture and keep.

***** This is a very recent report that highlights the trend to
increased picture taking with digital cameras and a sustained
commitment to making prints of the pictures taken.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.photochannel.com/corpupdate/
Industry Trends

It may be hard for some people to understand why this trend of
printing at retail is picking up steam but one needs only analyze the
customer demographics. It has been generally reported over the years
that the photofinishing customer has been 70% plus female. This
customer bias meets what many call the quintessential ?soccer mom?
where the average customer is female, 25-55 with family. The keeper of
the images and the driving force behind making pictures has always
been this demographic and this fact is not changing in the digital
age. PMA reports that over 50% of digital cameras are now in the hands
of the female members of the household.

As the major photofinishing retailers started to market printing from
digital to this customer demographic, they first promoted instore
order stations tied physically to their digital labs. This has been a
smashing success and the retailers are putting in two and even three
order stations in many locations. The problem is to handle the
equivalent volume of digital prints through these order stations as
the retailers have done in the past from film is not feasible without
a massive number of order stations. An analogy showcasing the
situation in the retail store as people stand to wait and use an order
station is going to an ATM machine and standing in line behind someone
paying 30 bills. It is not a good experience. The time necessary for
each transaction and the outright floor space the order stations
require make it impractical for the retailers to add enough to handle
the volume of prints coming at them in the near future. Enter online
processing. Just like how the banks and the airlines have pushed much
of their day to day interaction to their web sites, the major
photofinishing retailers are now turning to their online photo sites,
networked to their instore digital labs, to handle the volume of
prints. The home PC becomes an order station networked via the
retailers? website to the digital lab instore.

***** This is an interesting article about the demographics of the
changing digital photography market. The points about female camera
users are of special interest.


=============================================
RETAIL MARKETPLACE ? DIGITAL PHOTO PROCESSING
=============================================

http://www.channel-media.com/webNewsletter39.htm 
RetailVision Fall '04 Round Up

The Photo Marketing Association recently announced that home photo
printing today comprises a healthy 67% of all digital photos printed,
but this marks a 13% decrease from one year ago. Furthermore, there is
a staggering 82 billion images expected to be printed and shared by
2008. Such consumer acceptance has created a boom in retail digital
photo printing locations and constant price cutting of retail CPP.
Wal-Mart was recently spotted offering $0.17 prints, and Retailers
everywhere have launched online photo processing with in-store pick
up. HP and its competitors must focus marketing efforts on those
consumers controlling the digital revolution: the under-30 crowd.

***** This is a recent article that highlights the growth in digital
photo printing and the enormous potential for sustaining steady
growth. It also makes clear that this is an extremely competitive
industry.

-------------------------------------------------


http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/050103/retail_walgreen_earns_6.html
Walgreen Profit Rises 30.5 Pct, Shares Up
Monday January 3, 4:19 pm ET 
By Brad Dorfman 
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Walgreen Co. (NYSE:WAG - News) on Monday posted a
30.5 percent rise in quarterly profit, boosted by sales of generic
drugs and digital photo processing, sending its shares to a nearly
three-year high.

The company said the cost of converting to digital photo labs was
offset by improved profit margins. Digital processing machines are
more reliable than traditional film processing, which means there is
less maintenance and down time.

Walgreen spends more on labor for digital processing because it does
more processing in-house than previously, a spokesman said. But costs
for materials for digital processing are lower, Walgreen said.

"They've done a very good job in the front end of the store," said
Eric Bosshard, analyst at FTN Midwest Research. Bosshard, who has a
"neutral" rating on the stock, said the switch to digital photo
processing also helps attract customers who buy merchandise.
"Photo has always been a traffic-driver," he said.

***** This is an interesting article that highlights the importance of
photo finishing in a drug store setting and emphasizes how conversion
to digital processing boosted not only photo sales but also other
merchandise.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.infotrends-rgi.com/home/Press/itPress/2005/1.18.2005.html
http://www.capv.com/home/InfoTrends/OurProducts.html
InfoTrends/CAP Ventures? Study Indicates Continued Digital Print
Growth for Retail Photofinishers

(Weymouth, MA) January, 18 2005... According to a new consumer survey
from InfoTrends/CAP Ventures, 37% of digital camera owners who print
photos said they had tried retail services in 2004. Retail services
include ordering prints at a photo kiosk, ordering over-the-counter at
a retail store, or ordering through a retailer?s online site for
pickup in the store. This percentage is up from 14% in 2003,
demonstrating the growing popularity of printing digital photos in
retail stores.

------------------------

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures? report entitled 2004 Photo Kiosk and Retail
Digital Photofinishing End User Study Analysis is available
immediately. The analysis reveals detailed trends about where
consumers print their photos and why they do or don?t print at retail
stores or use photo kiosks. It also looks at print sizes ordered at
retail, prints per order at retail, consumer awareness issues, and
much more. The expected print behavior of future digital camera owners
is also examined. The analysis is 72 pages long, and it contains 60
Figures and 4 Tables. The analysis is accompanied by two sets of 190+
page data tabulations, which are broken out into demographics and
printing behavior.

------------------------

http://www.infotrends-rgi.com/home/Press/itPress/2004/6.22.04.html
Consumer Digital Photo Printing Habits Detailed in New InfoTrends/CAP
Ventures Study

(Weymouth, MA) June, 23 2004... A new consumer study from
InfoTrends/CAP Ventures reveals clear skies as well as clouds on the
horizon for the digital photo printing industry.

?Nearly half of all Internet users still don?t print digital photos at
all,? says Kristy Holch, a Group Director at InfoTrends/CAP Ventures.
?Consumer photo printing has not quite kept pace with the
proliferation of digital cameras. Consumer comments reveal the causes,
such as home printers that are low-quality or out of service, too many
steps in the printing process, lack of time, or not enough interest in
having a printed photo. These results indicate that improving
ease-of-use would boost average print volume.?

Among Internet users who print digital photos, 90% print photos at
home, but only 68% of total prints are produced at home. The remaining
photos are printed at retail, at work, or online. Retailers are in a
battle to get digital camera users to print photos as they always did
? outside the home. Retail printing is gaining ground, but most
consumers today still prefer the convenience of home printing whenever
possible.
Vendors can better determine whether digital photography will result
in a net gain or loss for their business with help from InfoTrends/CAP
Ventures? new survey report entitled 2004 Consumer Photo Printing End
User Survey and Analysis. This 147-page study is available immediately
and is accompanied by two sets of 165-page data tabulations. Results
are based on an extensive survey of U.S. Internet users. The report
details user habits in terms of picture-taking, photo sharing,
printing, and storage. Coverage includes the purchase and use of
consumables, printer types, photo uses, brand preferences, and
perceptions about various print locations. Breakouts detail results by
print location, print volume, demographics, and more.

------------------------

http://www.marketnews.ca/news_detail.asp?nid=381
1/31/2005 9:35:51 AM ET 
Retail Photofinishing Growing in Popularity

Weymouth, MA, January 21, 2005: InfoTrends? latest consumer survey has
found that retail photofinishing in the U.S. is growing in popularity,
with 37 per cent of digital camera owners who print photos stating
that they tried retail services, including ordering prints at a photo
kiosk, ordering over-the-counter at a retail store, or ordering
through a retailer?s online site for pickup in the store, in 2004. 
This percentage, the firm adds, is up from 14 per cent in 2003.

***** These are some highlights from expensive industry research
reports. You can explore the website for additional related reports.
Even if you choose not to buy any of the reports you will be able to
get some interesting market statistics from the report abstracts,
table or contents and PR newsreleases.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.imaginginfo.com/archive/index.asp?action=details&magarticle_id=1934
9/1/2004 - Kim Brady 
DIGITAL PHOTO SALES RETURN TO THE INTERNET?AND REVENUES ARE RISING

Until recently, Internet-to-lab printing was virtually unavailable.
Only major manufacturers had the resources to set up online printing
networks, and participating dealers had to buy into a program with
numerous restrictions - the most important being that it only worked
with the manufacturer's equipment. PhotoChannel, a Canadian-based
company headquartered in Vancouver, set out to develop a "private
label" solution, designed for retailers and large wireless carriers,
that would work with any printing equipment, no matter what the
format, brand, or workflow.

***** This article highlights the versatility of online digital photo
sales from one particular vendor. You could find similar stories about
other vendors.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/1/prweb197090.htm
Lyra Research Reports Retail Photo Printing Will Increase at a 55
Percent Growth Rate through 2008
 
Lyra?s Digital Photography Advisory Service reports consumers are
printing an increasing number of photos at retail locations

Newtonville, MA (PRWEB) January 14, 2005 -- A new Lyra Research
report, Consumer Photo-Printing Market: Where Digital Photos Will Be
Printed, forecasts brisk growth for retail photo printing. Today, the
majority of digital photos are printed at home; however, the report
finds that printing photos at retail is growing in popularity. Lyra
projects that the number of A6-size-equivalent photos captured with
digital cameras and printed at retail worldwide will climb from 1.6
billion in 2003 to 14.1 billion in 2008, a staggering 55 percent
compound annual growth rate. North America and Europe, the Middle
East, and Africa (EMEA) will experience more retail channel growth
than either the Asia-Pacific region or Latin America.

------------------------

http://www.lyra.com/MWReports2.nsf/0/236e101b9f0e5ab585256ede005d97b9?OpenDocument
http://www.lyra.com/PressRoom.nsf/0/44516ff2e31a962c85256f20005fecb9?OpenDocument
Report title: Consumer Photo-Printing Market: Where Digital Photos Will Be Printed 
Report code: D0407A	
Availability: 08/30/2004
Report type: Market Forecast and Primary Research Study	
Geographies covered: Worldwide
Industry Focus: Digital Photography	
Price: $2,495, delivered in PDF format

The growing popularity of digital cameras is increasing the number of
digital photos taken and saved. This, in turn, translates into more
digital photos printed at various locations including at home, in
retail locations, and via online photo-printing services. In a new
report entitled Consumer Photo-Printing Market: Where Digital Photos
Will Be Printed, Lyra Research forecasts that revenue from photo
prints captured with digital cameras will increase from $6.6 billion
in 2002 to $15.1 billion in 2008, a compound annual growth rate of 12
percent.

------------------------

http://www.lyra.com/MWReports2.nsf/2ad4498fc3a0e61385256a230058e0cb/3528e79bddd896e785256e36006bf97d?OpenDocument
Report title: Key Issues in the Photo-Printing Market 
Report code: D0403A	
Availability: 03/01/2004
Report type: Primary Research Study	
Geographies covered: worldwide
Industry Focus: Digital Photography	
Price: $299, delivered in PDF format

***** These are samples of reports from another market research
organization that focuses on the digital imaging industry. You might
find some interesting statistics among these reports.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2004/dec04/12-14FujifilmFinishingPR.asp
Microsoft and Fujifilm Team to Lower Barriers To Retail Digital Photofinishing 
Collaboration Offers Windows XP Users Fast, Easy Pickup of Digital
Prints At More Than 5,000 Retail Locations, With Some in as Little as
One Hour

REDMOND, Wash. -- Dec. 14, 2004 -- In the midst of the busy holiday
photo-processing season, Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has
teamed with Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. to connect millions of digital
photographers with retailers for easy and convenient printing of
digital pictures.

"Consumers want high-quality prints from their digital pictures for
albums, frames, scrapbooks or just for passing among friends and
family," said Howard Locke, product manager for digital services at
Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. "Since lifestyles and schedules vary, the
flexibility of Get the Picture Online empowers consumers to get real
prints of their digital pictures in a manner that is most convenient
to them, either as a quick pickup during the next trip to the store or
through the mail for those with the busiest of schedules."

"The proliferation of digital imaging has transformed the
photo-processing industry and introduced new opportunities to serve
customers online," said Richard Tranchida, executive vice president of
Ritz Camera. "By working with companies like Microsoft and Fujifilm,
we are able to extend the benefits of our online ordering service to
even more consumers and offer them a solution that's easy, convenient
and economical."

***** This is another recent article that discusses the needs of the
digital photography consumer and what is happening in the industry to
serve these consumers.



====================================
RETAIL CUSTOMER NEEDS, WANTS, TRENDS
====================================

http://www.nacsonline.com/NR/exeres/00005745zblxljuhzchybkze/NewsPosting.asp?NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2fNACS%2fNews%2fnd1214042%2ehtm&NRNODEGUID=%7b9E0BFCAC-85E5-4E70-879F-060A77B6336B%7d&NRQUERYTERMINATOR=1&cookie%5Ftest=1

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/columnists/sfl-zmarcia23dec23,0,910993.column?coll=sfla-business-col
Consistency Captures Customers' Loyalty
December 14, 2004 
DENVER -- Retailers that focus on delivering a consistently positive
shopping experience are more likely to win their customers' loyalty,
according to a consumer-habits survey commissioned by StorePerform
Technologies and conducted by Harris Interactive.

The three most common reasons cited for not shopping with a particular
retailer again were poor service from floor associates (43 percent),
overall appearance or cleanliness of the store (21 percent), and
stores out of stock on staple or regular goods (15 percent).

***** This story highlights a recent market research report on what is
important to retail customers.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14506-2005Jan16.html
Retailers Tap High Tech to Aid Shoppers
Newest Innovations Add Service, Cut Costs
By Michael Barbaro
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 17, 2005; Page A01

Two trends appear to be driving the push for innovation, analysts
said. Retailers are encouraged by consumers' willingness to use
self-checkout lanes and price scanners, technology that has reduced
the reliance on store employees. And stores think they have to make
bolder moves in the face of a hyper-competitive retail landscape that
prizes efficiency and cutting costs.

***** This article makes some interesting points about retail
customers? response to use of new technologies.


=======================================================
ATTENTION SPAN TRENDS, RESOURCES, REPORTS, EXPLORATIONS
=======================================================

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=2652
Web 'turns people into goldfish' 

Well, that explains ZDNet, anyway
By Mike Magee: Friday 22 February 2002, 15:39

A US EXPERT RECKONS obsessive web browsing can cause attention spans
to drop to as little as nine seconds - equivalent to a goldfish.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.brokennewz.com/displaystory.asp_Q_storyid_E_349attnspan
Research Shows The Attention Span of the Average Reader
(funny)

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.virtualsalt.com/visual.htm
Difficulties Created by the Videographic Presentation of Information

Writers on information theory have commonly noted the following
difficulties created by the movement from textually presented
information to videographically presented information:

***** This article discusses the impact of visual immersion on reduced
attention span.

-------------------------------------------------


http://66.34.10.50/se/swf.htm
Consumer Attention Span is 5-7 Seconds.

***** Interesting statistic. Unfortunately, the site does not provide the source.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.nj.com/living/expresstimes/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1104746672288990.xml
Technostress
Gadgets to make life better can become frazzling. 
Monday, January 03, 2005

All these tools have made our lives easier in many ways. But they're
also stirring deep unease. Some are concerned that the need for speed
is shrinking our attention spans.

Gloria Mark, a UC-Irvine professor, has been studying attention
overload and multitasking among workers in a financial-services
office. So far, she's found that the average employee switches tasks
every three minutes, is interrupted every two minutes and has a
maximum focus stretch of 12 minutes.

***** This article highlights the pressures of modern life and how
people are in attention overload because of the information glut they
face.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.usatoday.com/educate/college/healthscience/articles/20040411.htm
April 5, 2004
Short attention span linked to TV Children show effects by age 7 

***** This is a research report on the impact of TV on children?s attention span.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues02/feb02/taking_issue.html
Piece-Making 
What is the relationship between dollars and sense? 

Some people argue that the dumbing-down of modern magazines came about
because of the shortening American attention span. I believe the
American attention span is as long as it ever was. The fact is, if you
chop the content of magazines (and, notoriously, television) into
smaller and smaller bits, you have more and more edges to attach
advertising to.

***** This is an interesting article that explains how the information
load in magazines has been manipulated to provide additional
advertising opportunities. The author argues that people?s attention
is deliberately rechanneled from content to advertising.

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http://www.sric-bi.com/Scan/attentionexperience.shtml
Defining Force: Attention Economy / Experience Industry

Capturing consumer attention in a positive way and creating memorable
experiences will become crucial for business success in the coming
years. ? Consumers also desire increasingly more from products and
services than quality alone. Experiences are moving to the center of
consumers? expectations. Companies that underestimate the importance
of consumer attention and experience and don?t stay abreast of new
developments will find it increasingly difficult to win new and to
retain old customers and might even jeopardize their businesses in the
long run.

***** This research organization makes the point that providing
information to consumers to convince them to buy is no longer
sufficient and that marketing will increasingly have to include an
experiential element to capture the consumer?s interest.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www-8.ibm.com/services/pdf/ten_strategies.pdf
Ten Strategies for Survival in the Attention Economy

***** This is a 15-page report that explains that attracting customers
in the future will require grabbing their attention in competition
with other vendors trying to do the same thing. The report gives some
pointers on how to successfully access the very limited commodity of
customer attention through new customer service techniques.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.ebookmall.com/ebook/100525-ebook.htm
The Attention Economy By: Thomas H. Davenport

eBook Summary:
In today's information-flooded world, the scarcest resource is not
ideas or even talent: it's attention. In this groundbreaking book,
Thomas Davenport and John Beck argue that unless companies learn to
effectively capture, manage, and keep it--both internally and out in
the marketplace--they'll fall hopelessly behind. In The Attention
Economy, the authors also outline four perspectives on managing
attention in all areas of business: 1) measuring attention, 2)
understanding the psychobiology of attention, 3) using attention
technologies to structure and protect attention, and 4) adapting
lessons from traditional attention industries like advertising.
Drawing from exclusive global research, the authors show how a few
pioneering organizations are turning attention management into a
potent competitive advantage and recommend what attention-deprived
companies should do to avoid losing employees, customers, and market
share. A landmark work on the twenty-first century's new critical
competency, this book is for every manager who wants to learn how to
earn and spend the new currency of business.

***** The digital photography industry is one that is confusing,
ever-changing and can be very challenging for the customer.
Understanding how to manage the customer?s attention could help
retailers better present their products and services to the customer
through developing ongoing relationships.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.accenture.com/xdoc/en/ideas/outlook/pov/AttentionManagementPoV_A4.pdf
How corporate leaders can help their companies manage the scarcest
resource of all: Attention.

***** This is a two page summary of the above book.

-------------------------------------------------


http://joi.ito.com/archives/2004/03/29/continuous_partial_attention.html
Continuous Partial Attention

It's not the same as multitasking; that's about trying to accomplish
several things at once. With continuous partial attention, we're
scanning incoming alerts for the one best thing to seize upon: "How
can I tune in  a way that helps me sync up with the most interesting,
or important, opportunity?

***** This is a blog discussion of the concept of continuous partial
attention. According to the author everyone in today?s society is
challenge to continuously monitor events in their work and private
life and immediately take appropriate action. The customers your
digital photography vendors are dealing with are likely to be
completely immersed in such a world. This will probably make them
receptive to the wealth of possibilities afforded by digital photo
processing.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/core/Content/displayPrintable.jhtml?xml=/connected/2004/05/05/ecfgorilla05.xml&site=17
Our Stone Age brains may simply be unable to cope with the pace of
modern life, says Roger Highfield

"There have been some arguments that limits on visual memory are
related to limits on the number of items we can attend to at once as
well as to limits on the number of items we can count at a glance
(typically both have capacity estimates of around three to four),"
added Dr Simons.

***** This article reports on some research on people in cognitive overload.



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SEARCH STRATEGY
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retail photo processing
retail photo finishing consumer trends
retail photo finishing customer
attention span
reduced attention span

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Request for Answer Clarification by mikeginnyc-ga on 01 Feb 2005 06:17 PST

just to say for now ... i'm headed out to doctor's, and can't study
this till this afternoon. but am very impressed with the HEFT of
what's been provided.

will tune back in and respond for real when i can.

meanwhile: thanks!

mike

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Clarification of Answer by czh-ga on 01 Feb 2005 12:26 PST

Thanks for the update Mike. I hope the doctor's appointment went well.
I hope that the information I've provided (along with the
clarifications from eaterangel-ga and the comments from voila-ga and
bobbie7-ga) will help you put together a terrific speech. All the
best.

~ czh ~

P.S. Please note that only one researcher can answer a questions while
anyone can ask for clarification or comment as long as the answer is
unlocked. I decided to continue my research when easterangel-ga opened
it up to other researchers.

well, i'm really impressed at the CONTRIBUTIONS (for as i understand
it, given the realities of payment here to one researcher only, that's
what they are) by MULTIPLE researchers.  This is such an amazing
community of knowledge experts and I feel -- i mean this quite
sincerely-- LUCKY to have access to it.

The content of the answer was 3-4 stars, but the effort expended was 5
stars. (Fact is, I don't need the photographic facts ... my client is
an expert in the photo industry ... i'm looking to ENHANCE the point
with the added value of attention spans, etc.)

with that in  mind, the component from cgh on gadgets shrinking
attention spans, and the interruptions of the average worker ...

the then&now from voila re: tv viewing ...
as well as the note from easterangel on tv viewing ...

the contribution about employees from bobbie7 who's helped me in the past ...

cumulatively, THOSE were the kinds of "extra's" i was looking for.

i am grateful to you all, and will happily add on a 50% tip of $25,
and my thanks, once again, to EVERY researcher who cared enough to
comment.

appreciatively,

mike in NYC

Here's another example of time compression and attention span:

"Imagine once again that you are a news director. You know that most
men are incapable of watching a half-hour program. How do you respond?
You change the entire nature of television in a desperate bid to keep
viewers riveted. In the 1950s, a typical camera shot lasted 35-50
seconds; in the 1990s, it was five seconds. Commercials are even more
frenetic, often switching images after just one second."
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2660_128/ai_62590573

===============

"Thanks to the Digital Video Recorder, viewers can watch their
favorite shows in almost half the time. But will 'speed viewing'
become a national trend? And, if so, should network programmers reduce
the length of their shows?

(...)

Today's viewer has a shorter attention span and less time and patience
than in the past.

(...)

If 'speed viewing' becomes a national trend, you might see the
networks experiment with shorter programs such as 30-minute dramas and
news magazines or even 15-minute sitcoms."
http://www.tvpredictions.com/tivo041404.html

Hi Mike

Here are two more articles that might interest you.

?Today, our students have a shorter attention span than those 25 years
ago. Students, then, did not have access to the sophisticated media
they have today to distract them from reading and listening. Now,
however, these technologies are more cheaply available. Their
addictive images and sounds contribute to an attention span that, for
the average 17 to 23-year-old, may be between 5 to 7 minutes, and even
less for those with attention deficit disorders.

Students who spend a great deal of time watching TV and playing video
games have trouble concentrating. Reading scores of incoming college
freshmen, especially those at the community college level, back this.
Todd Gitlin, author of Media Unlimited, claims that the average
American child lives in a household filled with a variety of media
technologies.?
http://www2.nea.org/he/advo04/advo1004/dialog.html

Another article
http://www.rediff.com/search/2002/jun/27please.htm

Best regards,
Bobbie7

Hi Mike,

Thank you very much for the enthusiastic response on behalf of my
fellow researchers. If you would like to reward them, you can post a
question specifically to their attention.

Like this:

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=380423
Q: bobbie7-ga 

OR

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=408587
Q: Private question to easterangel 

Thanks also for the generous tip. In today's paper I saw another
article that might be of interest to you about the attention span of
teenagers compared to andults.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/10785795.htm?1c
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-01-30-teens-usat_x.htm
Adults better Web surfers than teens, study shows

Teens ages 13 to 17 were able to complete assigned tasks on the Web 55
percent of the time, compared with 66 percent for adults, according to
Nielsen Norman in Fremont, a firm known for studying how consumers use
technology. The teens were hampered by poor reading and research
skills and were more prone to leave a site after encountering
difficulties.

``If things aren't immediately apparent, they go away,'' said Jakob
Nielsen, co-founder of the firm. ``Their distaste for reading was a
big surprise. It has to be very short, brief text and big pictures.''