[cbd1984]

I'm not convinced attention spans are declining, for the reasons I stated: If you look at the 1930s, the major entertainment was radio and movies.

Movies are longer than individual TV show episodes, but shorter than the full run of the serialized TV shows we have now, so that doesn't hold up.

Radio had serials, certainly, but a lot of shows weren't serialized, and ongoing radio serials didn't have the full continuity with tight plotting that a show which was plotted out in full from day one does.

Maybe attention spans have dropped. I'm willing to be convinced. It's just that the examples you've posted haven't convinced me.

This, however, is very interesting:

> Ned Polsky, a real sociologist (I'm not!), thought that pool's decline in popularity was caused by the decline of a "bachelor subculture" in America.

I'll have to look up his actual thesis, but it sounds reasonable on its face.