--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Short attention span is the new…" description: "\"Short attention span is the new avant-garde. Everyone complains that we can no longer intake huge chunks of text. I find that a reason to celebrate. It..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24c/kenneth-goldsmith-15276_attention_short-attention-span-is-the-new-avant-ga_2062506.jpg" --- # Short attention span is the new avant-garde. Everyone… ![“Short attention span is the new avant-garde. Everyone complains that we can no longer intake huge chunks of text. I find that a reason to celebrate. It's something that has deep roots in modernism, stretching from the Futurists' use of typography to Pound's use of ideograms to concrete poetry…” quote by Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24c/kenneth-goldsmith-15276_attention_short-attention-span-is-the-new-avant-ga_2062506.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24c/kenneth-goldsmith-15276_attention_short-attention-span-is-the-new-avant-ga_2062506.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24c/kenneth-goldsmith-15276_attention_short-attention-span-is-the-new-avant-ga_2062506.jpg) > “Short attention span is the new avant-garde. Everyone complains that we can no longer intake huge chunks of text. I find that a reason to celebrate. It's something that has deep roots in modernism, stretching from the Futurists' use of typography to Pound's use of ideograms to concrete poetry. David Markson feels particularly relevant now. Twitter is the revenge of modernism.” [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern short attention spans reflect a cultural shift toward fragmented, rapid consumption, echoing early 20th‑century avant‑garde experiments with form and meaning. **In simple terms:** Short attention is now celebrated as a modern art form. Key Takeaway Embrace brevity and experiment with fragmented storytelling. Themes modernism media attention culture technology Mood reflective analytical optimistic Type observational critical When to use this quote - social media content creation - advertising copy - educational micro‑learning - creative writing workshops Key Concepts fragmentation hypertext celebration of brevity Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance quick consumption with meaningful engagement? A Different Perspective May brevity sacrifice depth and critical thinking? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Attention span](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-span/) [Celebrate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celebrate/) [Complaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complaining/) [Concrete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concrete/) [Modernism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modernism/) [Modernism Stretching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modernism-stretching-3941017/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Relevant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relevant/) [Relevant Twitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relevant-twitter-3053297/) [Revenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge/) [Short Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-attention/) [Twitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twitter/) ## Related quotes > [Everyone complains that we can no longer intake huge chunks of text. I find that a reason to celebrate. It's something that has deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/everyone-complains-that-we-can-no-longer-intake-huge-chunks-of-text-i/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [If you really don't understand what's relevant about Twitter for your business, think of it as the chance to network on a casual level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hania-whitfield/if-you-really-don-t-understand-what-s-relevant-about-twitter-for-your/) [Hania Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hania-whitfield/) > [I have a very short attention span, so books have never been my thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-jones/i-have-a-very-short-attention-span-so-books-have-never-been-my-thing/) [Jason Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-jones/) > [I get bored quickly. Always have. Short attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-friend/i-get-bored-quickly-always-have-short-attention-span/) [Rupert Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-friend/) > [I have a very short attention span, so sitting down with a book is very difficult for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-lahren/i-have-a-very-short-attention-span-so-sitting-down-with-a-book-is/) [Tomi Lahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-lahren/) > [I have a very short attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-have-a-very-short-attention-span/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [I didn't care for beat reporting, covering the same thing day after day - short attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-portis/i-didn-t-care-for-beat-reporting-covering-the-same-thing-day-after/) [Charles Portis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-portis/) > [The ultimate pitch for an era of short attention spans begins with a single word - and doesn't go any further.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/the-ultimate-pitch-for-an-era-of-short-attention-spans-begins-with-a/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [Land of snap decisions, land of short attention spans, nothing is savored long enough to really understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/land-of-snap-decisions-land-of-short-attention-spans-nothing-is/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [My short attention span has allowed me a life of diversity in work and place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maira-kalman/my-short-attention-span-has-allowed-me-a-life-of-diversity-in-work/) [Maira Kalman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maira-kalman/) > [I don't like reading scripts because I'm everywhere, and I have such a short attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bynes/i-don-t-like-reading-scripts-because-i-m-everywhere-and-i-have-such-a/) [Amanda Bynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bynes/) > [I think, first of all, you know, Washington has a bad habit of a very short attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-think-first-of-all-you-know-washington-has-a-bad-habit-of-a-very/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [“Daemon had not stayed. My smile slipped from my face. He was standing by the window, his back to me. “I got bored.” “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/daemon-had-not-stayed-my-smile-slipped-from-my-face-he-was-standing/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [I sometimes worry about my short attention span, but not for long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/i-sometimes-worry-about-my-short-attention-span-but-not-for-long/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [One of the great things about being an actor is it serves a short attention span, which is something I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-mack/one-of-the-great-things-about-being-an-actor-is-it-serves-a-short/) [Allison Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-mack/) ## More by Kenneth Goldsmith > [It's Twitter's combination of simplicity and complexity that is astonishing in the same way that minimalist sculpture was inspiring and enlightening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/it-s-twitter-s-combination-of-simplicity-and-complexity-that-is/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [If you work on something a little bit every day, you end up with something that is massive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/if-you-work-on-something-a-little-bit-every-day-you-end-up-with/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [My books are better thought about than read. They're insanely dull and unreadable.But they're wonderful to talk about and think about, to dip in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/my-books-are-better-thought-about-than-read-they-re-insanely-dull-and/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [I think that the richer and deeper documentation is on the web, the better off we all are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/i-think-that-the-richer-and-deeper-documentation-is-on-the-web-the/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [I've been trolled lots on Twitter. But I understand trolls for what they are and I don't let them get to me. They take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/i-ve-been-trolled-lots-on-twitter-but-i-understand-trolls-for-what/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [I don’t trust painting. At least not in New York. Most painting here relies on formula and repetition, whoring itself to the market. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/i-don-t-trust-painting-at-least-not-in-new-york-most-painting-here/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [An updated notion of genius would have to center around one's mastery of information and its dissemination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/an-updated-notion-of-genius-would-have-to-center-around-one-s-mastery/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [Art used to make me see the world differently, think about things in a new way - it rarely does that for me anymore,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/art-used-to-make-me-see-the-world-differently-think-about-things-in-a/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [New York City is just one node on the global cultural scene now. Social media reflects the state of the world, so I've become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/new-york-city-is-just-one-node-on-the-global-cultural-scene-now/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [I think that the special thing about radio is the off switch. If something's not pleasing you, turn it off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/i-think-that-the-special-thing-about-radio-is-the-off-switch-if/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [Everyone complains that we can no longer intake huge chunks of text. I find that a reason to celebrate. It's something that has deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/everyone-complains-that-we-can-no-longer-intake-huge-chunks-of-text-i/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [And I think this is the real epiphany: the ways in which culture is distributed become profoundly more intriguing as a cultural artifact itself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/and-i-think-this-is-the-real-epiphany-the-ways-in-which-culture-is/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [Language is material to shape and mold, not only a transparent or invisible medium for communication, business contracts, or telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/language-is-material-to-shape-and-mold-not-only-a-transparent-or/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [Poets think in short lines. Unless you're Samuel Beckett, Twitter might be more difficult for novelists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/poets-think-in-short-lines-unless-you-re-samuel-beckett-twitter-might/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [I never wanted my books to be mistaken for poetry or fiction books; I wanted to write reference books. But instead of referring to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/i-never-wanted-my-books-to-be-mistaken-for-poetry-or-fiction-books-i/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) [Explore all 43 Kenneth Goldsmith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Short attention span is the new avant-garde. 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