There
are a certain type of articles on the internet that I’ve come
to hate. So much so, I don’t even click on them to see if they
have any value.
As
most of you know, the internet is trying to trick you. People
are designing things based on the idea that they only have an
extremely limited amount of time to get your attention and interest.
Seconds, really, if that long.
There
used to be a thing for articles called a blurb. Actually, it still
exists. It was kind of a combination of neon sign and summary.
The idea was waving a spotlight around to get your attention,
while at the same time letting you know what you would be getting.
On the internet though, the balance has shifted… all neon sign,
no content.
You
might find something that claims it’s going to save you so much
on your next Disney visit, that Disney doesn’t want you to know
this secret. Then you follow the link, and nothing in the article
mentions any massive, Disney management petrifying secret. Instead,
the big reveal is something like purchasing a multi-day park pass
cuts the costs since the per-day average is lower.
Or,
an article promises to show you the tricks that Amazon doesn’t
want you to know about your Prime account. Dive in and learn that
a lot of people that sign up for Amazon Prime don’t use the streaming
service that’s part of the account. And… like… sure. Another stunner.
Time
after time, the result never lives up to the hype. The promised
goods are never delivered.
Now
it turns out you can’t go to a web site without seeing some type
of a disclaimer…
“I’m an ER doctor, and I would never…”
“I’ve been a professional plumber for thirty years and I
always…”
“My family were farmers for seven generations, until I quit
the business because…”
I’m
not questioning the thoughts of any of these people. Honestly,
they have more experience and education in their fields than I
do. But the reality is, the blurb is almost definitely clickbait,
and the article likely not filled with much valuable information.
It’s
the shift that the media and similar resources have made all over
the place. We’ve gone from legitimate and fact-based and reliable
journalism to the next segment is brought to you by the unproven
opinions of our station ownership or largest sponsor. And it’s
extending into any and all other areas. Which brings us to the
authority in the arena articles where we’re promised something
by a person that should know.
For
me, I’m being brought to a mindset where I’m becoming more suspicious—truth
be told, maybe more sarcastic and jaded—as a result. And… well…
There’s
nothing wrong with questioning things. Nothing wrong with wanting
facts. Nothing wrong with seeking out more informed opinions and
experiences. That’s actually smart. Having someone tell you the
burner may be hot is a heck of a lot less painful than finding
out it is hot on your own.
Where
it becomes a problem is when people (as individuals and as groups)
pick and choose what they present, often using only a snippet
that gives them what they need while ignoring the greater whole.
It’s about clicks. It’s about follows. It’s about numbers. Nowhere
is it about being correct.
The
problem with being jaded is you tend to lack the patience or time
to be touching any more burners. On a figurative level, I’d like
to be able to use the burners on my stove again. When they worked
and I respected them, they were incredibly valuable.