Attention commodification as a symptom of late stage Capitalism

"Our attention is a commodity, just like gold or silver or such, only our attention isn’t tangible. Company’s want our attention for various reasons. TikTok, for example, wants our attention because the more attention we give it, the more videos we watch, and the more ads we consume. The more ads people watch, the more company’s want to pay TikTok to put their own ads on the platform. It’s a business model where we are the product and the consumer simultaneously. 

Now, if a company wants your attention, there are ways for them to get it. If you take a look at nearly any major technology company, you will see that they too contribute to this growing problem. From Apple to Samsung to Instagram to Snapchat, they all have teams of people whose entire jobs are to keep. you. addicted.

This is a catastrophe, and it extends far beyond just our attention:

Money – The longer we engage with social media, the more advertisements we absorb. Exposure breeds desire, and suddenly, unnecessary purchases seem all the more justifiable. These platforms feed consumerism by design, rendering us more vulnerable to financial manipulation.

Time – Every minute spent on social media is a minute stolen from our finite existence. When we account for essential tasks like work, education, and sleep, we are left with precious little time, yet the average person now squanders over four hours a day on screens. This is time that could be spent on creation, relationships, or personal growth.

Motivation – The most insidious effect of this attention economy is how it erodes our drive and motivation. Why should we struggle through a challenging task when an easy, numbing escape is only a tap away? This addiction to screens dulls our ambition, making it harder to focus on the things that truly matter.

This attention economy is dangerous; it’s a cycle. The more we focus on fleeting digital content, the less we notice the technologies that profit from our distraction, and we begin to lose sight of something crucial: the erosion of our autonomy."

Source: https://kkensho.medium.com/the-commodification-of-human-attention-f239a7e5d896

Attention is big business and it's clearly a dirty one at that. And so it has inevitably become the focus of charged economic, moral and political debate in recent years and is also now attracting social activism globally. 

The Centre for Humane Technology (CHT), populated by ex silicon valley staff treading their redemption arc, claims that the aggressive and all pervading ways that our attention is being commodified is responsible for a host of individual and social problems; including election engineering, polarization of attitudes, mass narcissism, mental illness, addiction to technology and shortening of attention spans. CHT claims that this “digital attention crisis” is the “cultural equivalent of climate change”.

Source: https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-anthro-101819-110356

A large number of the CHT founders feature in documentary 'The Social Dilemma' which is worth a watch if you want to learn more about this disconcerting topic. You can find out more at https://thesocialdilemma.com/.

Every era of technological advancement sees natural kick back. People fear what is new and different. But the more nuanced reality is that the technologies being developed now, just as before, are not inherently harmful. They are just tools that can add enormous value when used safely and ethically. 

They are only harmful because they are being employed to manipulate and distract us by the wealthiest 1% of humans on our planet, as they doggedly drag us ever further into late stage Capitalism; a name that references the current phase of capitalism as final, exploitative and unsustainable, with the only logical conclusion being a systemic collapse or shift.  The phrase 'late stage Capitalism' has become increasing popular as people try to expresses their frustrations with the absurdities of our contemporary economy; such as increasing inequality, the shrinking middle class, and the rise of super-powerful corporations who have rigged the system in their favour and appear as influential, if not more so, as governments. All be it through and American lens, the following article helped me to gain clarity on why traditional capitalist economies just aren't fit for purpose any more, and what alternative solutions need to include; https://www.thebalancemoney.com/late-stage-capitalism-definition-why-it-s-trending-4172369.