The Post-Attention Economy: A More Insidious Form of Value Creation
“Post-truth,” the hypothesis that our current era is dominated by emotional manipulation, misinformation, and the rejection of objective facts—has shaped much of the discourse surrounding modern influence. However, focusing solely on post-truth misses a deeper transformation. Power is no longer wielded through spectacle and overt manipulation but through quieter, more pervasive means. What I call the post-attention economy represents a more insidious shift in how value is created and influence is exerted.
Unlike the post-truth era, which thrives on loud misinformation and emotional provocation, the post-attention economy embeds influence into the structure of daily life. Ideas are not debated or scrutinized but absorbed passively through repetition, ambiguity, and social proof. This shift capitalizes on fragmented attention spans and cognitive shortcuts, creating a world where beliefs are shaped without our awareness.
The implications are profound: by subtly narrowing choices, distorting justice, commodifying empowerment, and eroding imagination, the post-attention economy constructs a reality where questioning dominant narratives feels unnatural.
To resist this paradigm, we must redefine autonomy, foster collective agency, and challenge the commodification of thought.
True autonomy lies not in selecting between algorithmic recommendations but in redefining the conditions under which choice exists.
The Post-Attention Economy: A New Model of Influence
1. From Spectacle to Subtlety
The post-truth era thrived on chaos and confrontation: fake news, conspiracy theories, and viral outrage fractured shared realities, exploiting emotions to undermine trust in institutions. Movements like QAnon weaponized provocation to dominate discourse.
The post-attention economy, by contrast, trades chaos for calm. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook don’t just capture attention—they quietly shape beliefs and preferences. Consider “quiet quitting,” a term originally signaling worker empowerment, reframed by corporate media as laziness. This narrative shift didn’t require coordinated misinformation; it evolved from countless narratives subtly nudging public understanding in favor of employer interests.
Similarly, “cancel culture” was transformed from grassroots accountability into a supposed existential threat to free speech. Figures like J.K. Rowling invoke the term to deflect critique while maintaining their structural power. This reframing emerged not through direct confrontation but through ambient repetition.
2. Exploiting Human Cognition: Mechanisms of Power
Repetition as Credibility
Repeated exposure fosters familiarity, and familiarity masquerades as truth. The phrase “the algorithm” epitomizes this process. Invoked to explain everything from curated playlists to radicalization, its ubiquity normalizes its opacity and bias.Ambiguity as Protection
Vague terms evade critique while serving multiple agendas. For example, “cancel culture” can simultaneously signify justice or suppression, depending on who wields it. This ambiguity ensures its endurance while stifling nuanced discussions.Popularity as Legitimacy
Virality often substitutes visibility for validity. The “Great Resignation” was celebrated as a labor awakening but ignored systemic issues like wage stagnation and exploitation.Neutrality as a Smokescreen
Platforms like YouTube frame themselves as neutral tools while actively prioritizing profit-driven algorithms. The result: amplified polarization under the guise of “engagement.”
Attention as an Extractive Industry
The post-attention economy mirrors extractive industries, commodifying human focus. Platforms engineer perpetual engagement, leveraging AI and behavioral data to monetize interactions. This approach fragments user attention and erodes critical thinking, turning users into predictable archetypes optimized for profit.
The Costs of Exploitation
Technological Escalation: As platforms vie for engagement, investments in AI yield diminishing returns.
Content Overload: A saturated digital ecosystem exhausts users, undermining genuine connection and creativity.
Cognitive Narrowing: Identity and belief become commodities, reducing users to curated personas while limiting dissent.
Beyond Autonomy: Reclaiming Collective Agency
Autonomy in the post-attention economy is a mirage. Platforms offer curated choices, presenting them as expansive freedoms while quietly narrowing possibilities. True autonomy lies not in selecting between Spotify’s algorithmic recommendations but in redefining the conditions under which choice exists.
Similarly, empowerment cannot be achieved through individual adaptation to exploitative systems. As mutual aid networks demonstrated during the pandemic, collective care and solidarity are essential for challenging systemic barriers.
Challenging the Post-Attention Paradigm
Resisting the post-attention economy requires systemic strategies to reclaim imagination, justice, and agency. Steps toward resistance include:
Unmasking Frameworks
Demand transparency in how platforms prioritize and shape content. Platforms must disclose their influence on public discourse.Rebuilding Dialogues
Foster spaces prioritizing depth, dissent, and complexity over virality. Decentralized networks and investigative journalism can counteract algorithmic homogenization.Forging Collective Movements
Organize movements to amplify marginalized perspectives and challenge dominant narratives. Resistance begins with rejecting commodified empowerment and reclaiming autonomy.Radical Imagination
By rejecting pre-scripted realities, we open pathways to systemic alternatives. Articles like "Aparigraha Is About Anticapitalism" call for confronting capitalist structures perpetuating harm.
By interrogating the structures shaping belief, we can envision a reality where justice, autonomy, and empowerment serve collective flourishing, not commodification.
