Is Shorter Always Sweeter?
In a world where attention spans are decreasing at about the same rate that the influx of information is increasing (and by that, I mean QUICKLY), we’re seeing everyday experiences evolve and adapt to cater to the changing desires and needs of the consumer. Several years ago, the phenomenon of “curated consumption” began. In a world where free time was also quickly shrinking, we increasingly began to take cues from both traditional and non-traditional influencers. They shared with us their music playlists, home décor choices and favorite restaurants, making it easier for the consumer to choose from a pre-edited list of options. More recently, we see actual experiences being tailored to this “fast turnaround” mentality. These experiences are becoming quicker and more intensively curated, only asking users to spend their precious time and waning attention span on what the creator feels is the most noteworthy and relevant portions. In fact, yesterday only, if you had a free 24 hours (or less) you could have visited Prada’s 24-hour museum in Paris designed by Milan-based artist Francesco Vezzoli. But you had to be quick, it was only there for 24 hours! The space was designed to represent three viewpoints showcasing only the most important pieces in each – a curated version of 16 years’ worth of work in 24 hours.
Or if you live in Palm Beach, you’ll be pleased to know you’re the next stop for The Styleliner, the self-described “mobile style gallery offering limited pieces of extraordinary pieces hand-picked by The StyleLiner’s creator...” It’s a pop-up boutique on wheels traveling the country offering customers only the best of the best, as determined by the founder.
While it may seem to some that we are losing the depth of experience and thus the true value of our activities, to others it’s just the natural progression of, and adaptation to, how we live our lives. It’s an interesting phenomenon to observe, because it makes you wonder whether this highly curated, “flash” experience is a genius time-saver – or a testament to a decreasing investment in savoring and creating our own experiences.
What do you think?