Why users scan


4. lots of information out there: too little time

Modern life is hectic and people simply don't have time to work too hard for their information. As one of our test users said, "If this [long page with blocks of text] happened to me at work, where I get 70 emails and 50 voicemails a day, then that would be the end of it. If it doesn't come right out at me, I'm going to give up on it." 

Source: Alertbox, http://www.useit.com/alertbox/whyscanning.html