Whatever Happened to Articles?

     So it has come to my attention in recent years (and more than likely before that, even) that most informative links on the internet lead to...a video. You're familiar with the sensation of intrigue, I'm sure, when you see a headline promising an explanation of some kind of other, and you click on the link only to be led to...a video showing you how to make pajamas for your cat. Or how to make caramel with a can of condensed milk.  

     I don't know about you, but I really can't always stop and watch a video. I might be...oh, I don't know- in the middle of a waiting room, or in a room with other people who are watching tv. I might not feel like watching a five minute video when I can read the important points of an article that goes over the exact same material. 

     I understand some of the idea behind it, of course. Videos are great for people who are visually impaired (for the audio portion, anyway). But if I don't have a pair of headphones handy, or I have a limited data package on my cellular plan (videos use more data), I might just want to read the article. Or save it for reference.

    Today I stumbled across one of the articles I mentioned above: how to make caramel with a can of condensed milk, boiling the can on the stove. Intrigued, I clicked the link...and was led to an instructional video. I'd have much preferred to read the steps, find out what exactly the person did or how exactly it made caramel and what it tasted like. But instead I was only given then option of watching and listening. 

   A great balance would be for every instructional video to be paired with a transcript of the video itself, allowing people who don't want to press play (or who might be having difficulties streaming it due to issues with their systems) to get the information without actually having to leave with the frustration of knowing it was all just so close. All that stopped them was that pesky video, and now they'd never know the secret to unlocking the true power...of the ninja.

   Or whatever.