The debates about speed were being debated all the way back to something like 2002, then in 2016 Google launched Google Lighthouse and in 2018 the debates got pretty lively so those article were probably a combinations from 2002 through 2019 and then the LinkedIn debate happened around 2020 so that is when it all got fine-tuned and put together.
Google first announced that page speed would be a ranking factor for desktop searches in April 2010. This initiative aimed to enhance user experience by prioritizing faster-loading websites in search results.
Google conducted the study titled "The Need for Mobile Speed," which revealed that 53% of mobile site visits are abandoned if pages take longer than 3 seconds to load and released it in September 2016.
In January 2018, Google expanded this criterion to include mobile searches, stating that starting in July 2018, page speed would also be a ranking factor for mobile search results.
A lot of studies have been done to show that speed affects conversions:
- Google's Research: A 0.1-second improvement in mobile site speed led to an 8.4% increase in retail conversions and a 10.1% increase in travel conversions. Google Business
- Portent's Analysis: Pages that load in 1 second have an average conversion rate of nearly 40%, which drops to 34% at a 2-second load time and continues to decline as load time increases. Portent
- SOASTA's Findings: A 1-second delay in load time can impact conversions by up to 20% in the retail sector. Google Business
- Cloudflare's Insights: Faster page speeds are consistently linked to better conversion rates, as quicker load times enhance user experience and engagement. NitroPack+1Connect, protect, and build everywhere+1
- Bidnamic's Research: For every second a site loads faster, conversion rates can improve by 17%, highlighting the importance of optimizing load times. bidnamic.com
Then you've got studies showing a decline in attention spans:
- Microsoft Study (2015): This research indicated that the average human attention span decreased from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013. Samba Recovery
- Dr. Gloria Mark's Research: Dr. Mark's findings reveal that the average attention span when using digital devices has dropped from approximately 2.5 minutes in 2004 to just 47 seconds in recent years. Santa Maria College
- Nature Communications Study: This study supports concerns about narrowing collective attention spans, suggesting that our brains have limitations on how much attention can be sustained and where it can be allocated. Andrews University
- Northeastern University Insights: Professor Art Kramer notes that research suggests a decrease in average attention spans, which may pose challenges, especially given the common misconception about multitasking abilities. Northeastern Global News
Combing those studies would show that people are less likely to wait for a page to load today then they were a year ago.
So it is more relevant today then it at any other time in history! 
