Words are Never Pesky

"Dear writers,

"Some of our biggest social media platforms seem to treat words as a pesky inconvenience, best to be moderated away from your awareness.

"But we're all here - you, I, the other people reading this newsletter - in part because we know that words matter, and writing is an essential part of being human. Whether to express ourselves or share some measure of what we've learned in our time on this planet, we know the simple act of writing things down is, at its core, a healthy one, a necessary one, an important one. I think this is even more true right now."

The above was the opening from my Medium newsletter, and I just happened to crack it open right after I had a conversation - or perhaps a debate - where someone was telling me, "People prefer short content. People don't like to read lots of words."

Now, when I hear people say that, it makes me cringe. But when I hear an actual writer or author say that...

Come on!

Seriously? People will read - or listen to - long content when it's adding benefit and value to their lives.

So, whenever I encounter someone who drank the Kool-Aid and are convinced that people don't like words, my response is always the same: "They got to you, too, huh?"

And I always get the same reply: "Who are they?"

EXACTLY!

Might 'they' be the ones who control platforms that can only thrive on short content? So, if 'they' get you to believe you have a short attention span, it's a win-lose situation. 'They' become the winner.

"Well, according to algorithms..."

Whose algorithms?

"Theirs."

Oh, you mean 'they'?

"But studies show..."

Whose studies?

"Theirs."

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Anyway, thank you, Medium, for not trying to manipulate folks into thinking that words are pesky instead of priceless. Let's leave that to 'they.'