Outcome

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I've developed a sort of tunnel vision as I've grown. I don't have the enthusiasm or energy to consider everything I see and ask "What's that?" or "What are they selling?". If I did, my walk from my apartment to class would consume most of my day. 

The following is a picture I took on Craig Street, a street I used to take rather frequently last year and one I now use every day to get to class. Despite this, I have never actually looked at this Irish Design Center before today. I could blame my ignorance on the dull colors of the sign, but the truth is that I just wasn't paying attention. It wasn't a store I would consider entering or even a sign I would remember seeing. It was just some building in the background.

Below is another establishment I had yet to notice on Craig: Oakland Fashion Optical. I don't actually need glasses, much less fashionable ones, but one would think I would at least notice this store or its sign. I actually like that little logo with the glasses. However, on my walks, these are just stores trying to sell me something. Since I don't plan on buying, I ignore them.

Below is perhaps the most egregious example of my ignorance: A giant pencil protruding from the Art Centre on Craig. Now, I'm not exactly an artsy type, but I can appreciate the sheer scale of the sculpture dominating the window here. Yet, I hadn't noticed it before. On Craig, I'm going to class or coming from it. I looked straight ahead because I had no need to look around. 

This lack of attention on my part may seem odd, but I guarantee we've all done our best to ignore some bit of media thrown our way. Who can say they haven't pressed the "Skip Ad" button on a video or muted a webpage that started trying to sell you car insurance? That practice is so prevalent, I even had to do it while learning to extract those photos of Craig Street from my phone. That Sling advertisement on the right in the picture below started playing sound and blocking out the screen with video streaming equipment while I read the page. I promptly muted my computer and searched for the well-hidden "x" that would take me back to the article. 

We don't want to view certain media. This doesn't stem from shoddy work on the producer's part, but on disinterest in the consumer. We want to see what we searched for. Anything else is just an annoyance. In fact, we've come to expect rewards for wasting time with media we don't like. Below, a game on my phone offers me its premium currency for viewing a two minute ad. Viewing media in a world where it is abundant has become a task.

This practice of ignoring media could have a number of detrimental effects for both producers and consumers. The producers may sink a large amount of money into unsuccessful advertisements directed at an apathetic market. Platforms that depend on revenue from producers buying ad space could then suffer, such as television or YouTube. Likewise, the consumer may see media in the same manner as the townspeople saw the proverbial boy who cried "Wolf!". We've seen it all before, so why should I offer this new flashing light any more attention? Surely it can't be more interesting or beneficial than the last. 

Unfortunately, I don't see myself changing. Sure, that store to my left might look cool, but I have class. 

This product on the commercial might be useful, but I had to get up to grab a drink anyway. I'll come back when the show is back on.

That movie on the upcoming ad might even be good, but I'll still press skip as soon as possible.