Why articles don’t open external links in “_blank”?

Is this a new trend because I have a major issue with this? I read a lot of articles on the web these days and find it quite annoying when I’m in the middle of great article there’s a link reference that’s outside their website and it opens in the same space namely “_parent”, “_self” or the blatant omission of the “_blank” attribute in their hyperlink. So, I’m wondering what the reason might be and I can’t figure it out, since I find it highly unlikely it’s an SEO thing. Why would I want a person to be reading an article I wrote to only get portions of it and then get lead into another direction. If you’re anything like me I tend to be very scattered brained as it is. I go from place to place on the internet with a click of a button or hyperlink. Isn’t the point of a ‘great’ article for it to be read all the way through? So, why would you reference something you think supplements your article or give more meaning to what your talking about open up in the same space your article was in? Often times I want to read the entire article but click on the link as a reminder that there’s a reference that I may want to check out. BUT when that link opens up in the same ‘window’ I then have to click the back button in the browser just to go back to the article and remember where I was in the article; this is a HUGE UGH for me…why go through all the trouble in putting the link in if your can’t open it in a different window? I’d say if it was just a few websites, or some smaller unknown websites maybe they just don’t know the difference. But I see it so often and on some highly respected websites nowadays that I have to rant! Correct me if I’m wrong because I really do want to understand.