The attention economy is a set of economic relations where the attention of individuals is a scarce resource, and content providers compete to gain access to it. Attention is defined by Davenport and Beck as focused mental engagement with a particular item of information. User interfaces, thumbnails, headlines and menus are therefore designed to draw the viewer’s eye to particular items, sometimes as a device to privilege sensational content. When these are misleading, they are known as clickbait. The attention economy can undermine privacy, either by creating incentives for content providers to find out about people – to customise the content they are offered – or by invading their privacy from outside with spam or other types of information pollution.
Further reading:
See also: SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM
Davenport, T. and Beck, J.C., 2001. Attention economy: understanding the new currency of business. Cambridge MA: Harvard Business School Press.
-
Davenport, T. and Beck, J.C., 2001. Attention economy: understanding the new currency of business. Cambridge MA: Harvard Business School Press.
