There’s a good deal of talk about video taking over the world, displacing the written word. Here’s my take on it:
Yeeeaaars ago, when faxes (remember them?) were new, ‘fax marketing,’ blossomed. The idea was that faxes commanded immediate attention, and fax marketing was a way to cut through the clutter.
Ring any bells?
The fax marketers confused the medium with the message. Sending piffle by fax was simply a faster way of sending piffle.
Same for video. There are some hilariously bad videos out there, because the marketer has confused the video medium with the message. Using a Star Wars theme does not make you watchable. Setting the titles on fire does not make them interesting.
Written pieces are often not much better, with jargon and complexity used to disguise lack of thought.
Video will not take over the world any more than TV will kill off radio.