In 1964, Marshall McLuhan theorized that the study of media forms is more important than the study of media content. Different kinds of media often shape the content of that media and the way that content is presented. Much of today's media presentation is based on the restrictions and confines first found in television broadcasting, trending toward short and frequently changing messages, rather than in-depth coverage.

Neil Postman (1985) suggested that the advent of television changed the world by eliminating, or at least limiting, serious and thoughtful discussion. He said that even serious content on television becomes entertainment, because the viewer is not required to take an active part in the presentation. Serious content as presented on television does not require any direct action from its audience and does not allow for any input from them.

Time constraints put in place to accommodate the media form (and the needs of the advertisers who fund it) became the driving force in how content is presented on television. A 30-minute time slot for the evening news provides time for reporting on only a few stories. Reporting on those few stories rarely covers any topic in depth. Transitions from one topic to the next are often confusingly quick and stories do not have anything to do with each other for the most part:

This description is applicable to the internet and especially to social media in the current era. Consider the extreme limits placed on Twitter messages, for example. Originally, tweets were limited to 140 characters. In November 2017, this limit was doubled to 280 characters. Only very brief communications are possible given these limitations. Abbreviation of communication makes it less possible to transmit, receive and consider any topic in depth. Using the trend toward abbreviation, information can be taken out of context and weaponized and/or made to appear to be something it is not.