Online Marketing 3: We Have Forgotten

Thought 1: When I was in grade school, we had a lesson that came up each year called, “reading between the lines.” I just did a search on Google and unlike other teaching topics, this one’s not so popular with educators. Whereas “predicting outcomes” has fewer entries (103,000 to 663,000) it’s almost all educators, but the first page of the former has only three educational references. . . . Are we not learning how to think deeply about what we read?

Thought 2: We’re bombarded by information clutter. We teach kids watch this and this, while you’re watching that other thing crawl across your TV screen. Pop up advertising isn’t only on the Internet. . . . Some kids and grownups don’t know how to be alone. They don’t know how to wander through their own thoughts to find an inner sense of peace.

Thought 3: We take in info-bytes, sound-bytes, lists, and info-snacks. We’re starting to get satisfied by these. They’re easy to remember and to offer back. They travel quickly and translate well. . . . They don’t ask much of our limited time to pay attention. We can monitor several sources of them at once and feel like we’re getting so much done. That’s a powerfully addictive feeling.

. . . attention . . .

. . . to pay attention . . .

. . . to give attention . . .

. . . to get attention . . .

Kids and grownups acting out to get attention.

I think we have forgotten how to listen.

. . . listen . . .

Liz Strauss