Goals that people set for themselves and that are devoted to attaining mastery are usually healthy. But goals imposed by others—sales targets, quarterly returns, standardized test scores, and so on—can sometimes have dangerous side effects.
The quest to design an app that facilitates mindful attention is “impossible to fulfill as the affordances of the smartphone and its suite of digital tools capture attention in equal—if not greater—measure as meditation apps claim to give it back,” concludes Jablonsky.
That’s not how it works right now. Spotify pays per stream, whether you’re listening or not. YouTube Premium pays per minute of watch time whether you like it or not. TikTok’s creator fund is distributed based on “engagement” (whatever that is.) And all of this is fine. But why not set aside a portion of this money and give it to the audience for t... See more
There are secular tailwinds too: automation is driving a shift towards more empathetic, creative work; trust is shifting to individuals versus institutions; and users are more familiar with subscription business models and increasingly willing to pay directly (rather than through their attention on ads) for unique access and expertise.