Attention Economy
exploring the inner workings and dynamics of companies building products engineered to hook us, addict us, and hijack our attention to sell more ad inventory
sari and
Attention Economy
Are Attention Spans Actually Shrinking? (Pt 2)
open.substack.com
Gaining a following on social media is a measure of people’s attention. It is not a measure of benefit to others, nor knowledge, nor sincerity, nor wisdom, nor leadership capability - yet these are some of things that are needed to minimize the harm from having a following.
descriptiontwitter.comBusiness model shapes outcomes. In a subscription based model, you build tools people use and pay for. In an ad-based model, you build engagement hacks.
As Tristan Harris put it:
“we've moved away from having a tools-based technology environment to an addiction and manipulation based... See more
Ads have ruined company priorities
It used to be that we design for the best possible experience. But then “free” came around. Nothing is really free, however – you may not pay for it but you do with your data to improve ad targeting.
As a result, the incentives for the creators of these products is not to create a better experience for you. It’s to... See more
It used to be that we design for the best possible experience. But then “free” came around. Nothing is really free, however – you may not pay for it but you do with your data to improve ad targeting.
As a result, the incentives for the creators of these products is not to create a better experience for you. It’s to... See more
Golden Krishna • Notes on The Best Interface is No Interface
andrea and
Opinion | Chris Hayes: I Want Your Attention. I Need Your Attention. Here is How I Mastered My Own. - The New York Times
Chris Hayesnytimes.comWe experience the externalities of the attention economy in little drips, so we tend to describe them with words of mild bemusement like “annoying” or “distracting.” But this is a grave misreading of their nature. In the short term, distractions can keep us from doing the things we want to do. In the longer term, however, they can accumulate and... See more