问答题 People have a short attention span. So in order to capture the viewers" attention, television must provide constant stimulation through variety, novelty, action and movement. The result of doing so is that news is too brief and results in inefficient communication. Many news programs are like "machine-gunning with scraps and fight coherence of mind. The appeal to the short attention will decivilize as well. To avoid complexity means to give up thinking. The "functionally illiterates" among adult Americans are continually increasing. They even do not know how to answer the want ad. Or understand the instructions on a medicine bottle. At least television should be responsible for part of it.