Just finished reading Tim Wu’s The Attention Merchant, which covered the history of how professional “Attention Merchant” apply mass human psychology to achieve their goals (selling products, political propaganda, shifting cultures) and how technology evolved to multiply their power.
Like many secular trends, the pendulum swung back and forth as we recognize their impact and adapt. But from the war recruitment posters, radio shows, TV, to the trifecta of social media, streaming videos and mobile games now, the tools have become much more powerful and effective against the mere mortals.
Attention is important to so many aspects of our lives. It affects our
- Productivity (getting things done)
- Learning (forming memories require attention)
- Relationships (need I say more?).
We rely on our will power and habits to fight against a well-resourced industry, that hires the best and brightest, powered by practically unlimited computing resources, to optimize measures like engagement, time on page. There are Billions at stake.
Have you ever looked for something online, only to find out an hour and a few clicks later, you have not accomplished your goal? Nor retain the many pages of information you reviewed?
And yes, you may be entertained or have learned something. So then, where does the value exchange take place?
To a Social Network – We are not the customer. We are the products.
The company serves users’ attention to their customers (Advertisers), who pay for the ability to target the users, using the data that ironically the users themselves create.
Everything that is Free to Use doesn’t look so Free after all.
But are you willing to Pay to be Freed from the Ecosystem?
