How to Stay Focused in the Attention Economy

(Last Updated On: )

Ever feel like you are constantly distracted while at work, or even with your family? You’re not alone. With a breaking news story every 30 seconds, everyone feels a bit distracted. Check out these guidelines for how to stay focused in the attention economy. Not enough time to read? Listen to the audio below.

How to Stay Focused in the Attention Economy

Consider first the Law of Information, which states that the “rapid growth of information causes scarcity of attention” (Iskold). With more information, distraction is bound to be prevalent. The most outrageous, violent, funny, or emotional stories make headlines every 30 seconds. This creates a lack of focused attention. We no longer even read entire articles. We skim until we hit the bulleted list, read quickly, decide if it was useful or not, share on our platforms, and then click away onto something more stimulating.

Furthermore, the pieces of information we share on our platforms are often to make us seem smarter, funnier, richer, cooler, or simply better than our real selves. We are in fact streaming self-promotional content whether we realize it or not, and this type of “bragging” has become socially acceptable, pumping more and more content through social media platforms. It’s no wonder kids today struggle with anxiety.

What Problems are Created?

In the book How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy Author Jenny Odell discusses a few of the problems the attention economy has created. One being that everyone seems to be self-enterprising. That is to say, everyone seems to be an entrepreneur, working from home, traveling the world, or freelancing. If you’re not one of these, then you really should quit your 9-5 and start pursuing a side hustle! I’m only writing this because, I’ve fallen for the same message. This “workaholic” culture creates a forever “busy” atmosphere, when for our own health we should be making more time for leisure, not side-hustles.

Consequently, if you do land a work from home job, in reality it creates availability for you to work MORE. Even if we don’t have a side-hustle, our social media activity for many is like a part-time job. When you have the freedom to work from home, or engage on social media from your cell phone, you have the freedom to also be available on your cell phone at any time of the day. As a result, less time is spent on leisure activities, and more time is spent “working.”

My Personal Experience Working from Home

After the birth of my daughter, I decided to take a work from home job as a teacher. It has been a blessing, but it does come at a cost. The “labor” of a work from home job is different. Of course the benefits are in the freedom and flexibility of the hours you work. However, as stated by Odell, “In the global digital network, labor is transformed into small parcels of nervous energy…Strictly speaking, the workers no longer exist. Their time exists, their time is there, permanently available to connect, to produce in exchange for a temporary salary” (Odell 15). Time that you “could be” working includes all hours of every day and even weekends.

I used to wear my “busyness” like a badge of honor. Yes, I’m so busy, so I must also be important. Turns out though, busyness can also just be a form of low anxiety. If you can’t allow yourself to sit in the present moment, and instead have to be constantly working, scrolling, or side hustling, are you ever really happy? You reach one goal, and quickly create an even more challenging goal, barely enjoying the moment where you succeeded. Shouldn’t we be working to pursue leisure activities, not work more?

 The first labor unions emphasized the labor rights as 8 hours to work, 8 hours to sleep, and 8 hours for “what we will” (Odell 13). “What we will” meaning leisure, living, “doing nothing,” and unproductivity at its finest. What labor unions fought so hard for, is being eroded into a side hustling culture, where we can always be connected, and likewise distracted.

Elections: An Example of the Attention Economy on Steroids

Elections are a great example of the attention economy continually distracting all for the purpose of the candidates, large media corporations, and our continued attention on social media. Media and political parties purposely pin everyone against everyone in an all-out cut throat battle. Not on policy, but rather emotionally laden sound bites. Because of course, nobody actually sits down to read the entire policy. No, we judge and vote for people based on their acting abilities and 30 second “viral moment” performances.

These “viral moments” and emotionally charged rhetoric are also extremely lucrative for social media platforms and advertisement agencies because “what actually drives the machine is not the content of information, but the rate of engagement” (Odell 60). So we’re not an audience searching for high quality journalism, but rather an audience searching for the highest stimulation or most shareable content. We stare at our screens captivated, and if we get bored we click away to another distraction.

What Can We Do?

We are not lost in this world though. There is a way to still stay connected, resist attention seeking thrills on social media, critically think about world politics, and remain focused in your work and family tasks. Much of the solution lies in your ability to quietly resist or as Odell calls it to “stand apart.” To stand apart is to “take the view of an outsider without leaving” (Odell 61). In this regard, you may check up on your niece’s cute Halloween costume on Faceobook, but simultaneously observe others around you enraptured in click bait, petty political arguments, and general lack of focus. Here are a few tips to resist being distracted by the attention economy.

1.Set Boundaries

You know your most productive times of the day. Avoid logging onto the internet, watching T.V., or scrolling through social media during these peak times. For me, it is the first couple hours after I wake up. I cut out all electronic distractions during this time.

2.Meet in Person

If you want community, you won’t find it immediately on social media. You have to meet in person. Schedule time to meet with local friends regularly.

3.Argue in Person

Arguments are never solved on social media. In fact, people have less empathy on social media than they do in person. If an argument is transpiring online, get together in person and hash it out (if both parties are willing to find a solution). In my experience, talking about it in person actually helps both parties to see similarities rather than differences.

4.Observe your Tendencies

Observe your emotions and habits with social media and news media. When are you more likely to scroll? When are you likely to feel jealous? Observe your tendencies to better understand why you are continually distracting yourself. If you realize it’s simply because you’re bored, then you can work to solve this. Go to the library and check out books that interest you. Have them on hand, so that the next time you feel bored, you can read a book you’re interested in instead.

5.Identify if Social Media is a Leisure Activity for You

If you consider social media a leisure activity, engage like one. It’s okay to look forward to time spent online, but like all leisure activities there is a start time and an end time. Avoid using social media throughout the entire day, and any time you are bored. This turns into a distraction, rather than a leisure activity.

If it’s not a leisure activity, set a purpose for anytime spent online. Are you checking in on family and friends? Making connections with other people in similar niches? Set the purpose, and engage with these expectations in mind.

6.Pursue Leisure activities

Instead of engaging online and succumbing to endless advertisements, click bait, and distactions, get outside and pursue leisure activities you enjoy. Walk, run, bike, swim, read, draw etc. Fill up your down time with actual activities that bring you joy, help you relax, and ultimately lead to higher quality of life.

7.Consider a Social Media and News Media Detox

Consider taking a social media and news media detox if you’re noticing addictive tendencies. Sara and I take a biannual detox. You can read more about our experiences with a social media detox here, and news media detox here.

8.Identify when Your Ego is Triggered

Everyone regularly shares information on their platforms that make them look better, whether we are conscious of it or not. This could be in the form of family pictures, research, shocking statistics, or opinions. Recognize when you are posting out of pure vanity. These are activities that you can completely cut, and instead spend your time doing something you really enjoy like being in nature, reading, or just simply doing nothing.

9.Remove all Media Notifications on Phone

Always remove notifications from media on your phone. This is a continual distraction throughout your day. Suspending these notifications will allow you to stay focused in the present moment.

Final Thoughts

Minimalism and resisting the attention economy are closely related. Minimalism is a journey to find just the right amount. Overwhelm or anxiety signals that there is too much. If there is too much, you must cut back. Follow the guidelines outlined in this post to “stand apart” and remain focused on your most essential tasks.

P.S. We always ask readers to follow us on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. We consciously try to document our everyday simple lives with wellness, financial literacy, and minimalism tips. If you’re trying to cut out social media, you’ll need to subscribe directly to this blog. We welcome you to join us!

Author

Maria Halcumb is a teacher, writer, reading specialist, and mother. You can find her reading books, being in nature, minimizing her life, and spending time with family and friends in the great PNW, or Northern Minnesota. If you want to learn more about Maria, check out the About page.

Sources

Alex Iskold, and Web. “The Attention Economy: An Overview.” ReadWrite, 1 Mar. 2007, https://readwrite.com/2007/03/01/attention_economy_overview/.

Odell, Jenny . HOW TO DO NOTHING: Resisting the Attention Economy. Melville House, 2020.