This is the first post in the “Dictionary of the New Era” series, where complex or lesser-known terms that are already influencing — or will soon influence — our economy and society are explained in plain language.
The first concept in this series is Attention Economy. It’s not exactly new—it was introduced in 1971 by economist Herbert Simon.
In the 20th century, the world fought over oil, territories, and trade markets. And let’s be honest, Russia still operates under that outdated paradigm. But in the 21st century, the main war is for human attention. And that’s not a metaphor. In a digital era overflowing with information, attention has become the most scarce resource. It can’t be stored, and it’s limited by time—there are only 24 hours in a day.
Every day, we wake up in a world where millions of content units fight for our attention. Messages, newsfeeds, videos, ads—all of it is competing not for our money, but for something far more valuable: our focus. In an age where information exceeds our ability to absorb it, the capacity to concentrate has become a true luxury. That’s why the attention economy has become the new structure of the digital world.
The attention economy is a model in which the core asset is the human ability to notice, focus, and interact with information.
Herbert Simon wrote: “A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” Our limited cognitive capacity has become the revenue model of modern media and digital services. Our attention is the commodity that’s being bought, measured, and fiercely competed for.
If something is free, you are the product.
In the digital world, “free” is never actually free. Social networks, video platforms, and even some educational tools exist not because of us, but because of our behavior. Every like, pause on a video, scroll, or click is a signal the system records, analyzes, and converts into advertising value. Algorithms know what captures us, and show us exactly that. The content that wins is the one that provokes a reaction. We become part of a transaction we never agreed to.
Algorithms don’t just adapt — they control.
The most common misconception is that we choose what we want to watch. In reality, platform algorithms shape our informational reality. They filter out what “might not appeal” or “won’t hold” our attention. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook serve us content they believe we’ll find pleasant—or shocking—because it keeps us inside the app longer. We think we’re free, but our “freedom” has already been calculated.
The entire digital economy is powered by your attention.
Platforms don’t make money when you buy — they profit when you just watch. The longer you stay on a site or app, the more ads you see. Every second is profit. Every emotion is a resource. That’s why newsfeeds are filled not with the most valuable content, but with what triggers: anger, laughter, fear, empathy. That’s how emotional engagement becomes monetized.
Your attention is a political battleground.
Just like brands, politicians use the attention economy to push ideas. But instead of “buy now,” you hear “vote for...” It works the same way — through emotion, repetition, and personalization. Algorithms feed us news and comments that make it seem like “everyone thinks like us,” creating an illusion of consensus. This leads to radicalization, societal division, and loss of critical thinking.
According to Microsoft, the average human attention span has dropped to 8 seconds. That’s worse than a goldfish (with all due respect to goldfish). Constant notifications, infinite scrolls, and information overload exhaust the brain and erode long-term focus. People experience more fatigue, frustration, and what researchers call "information hangover" — the sense that you consumed a lot but retained nothing.
For teenagers, the attention economy is the environment where their thinking develops. Their neural systems aren’t fully matured, yet they’re exposed to algorithmic influence daily. Short-form visual content changes their perception of learning, communication, and even self-worth. According to Harvard Medical School, this impacts emotional regulation, patience, and independent thinking.
All this may not be shocking, but it is alarming. And the natural question is:
What can we do? How can we protect our attention?
Digital hygiene is no longer a tip—it’s a survival skill. Turning off notifications, limiting app time, reading long-form offline texts, and scheduling tech-free hours all help us regain control of our most precious resource. But more importantly, we must learn to recognize when someone is trying to manipulate us and reclaim the ability to choose. Because if we don’t control our attention, someone else will.
The world around us isn’t shaped only by politicians or economic systems. It’s rebuilt every day by our smallest decisions: what we read, what we focus on, what we give a minute of attention to. In a world where focus is rare, real influence belongs to those who stay clear-headed.
And finally — a quick game.
🕹 How many hours a day do you spend online “just looking”?
A) Less than 1 hour
B) 1–2 hours
C) 3+ hours
D) Better not to count 😅
To be continued…
#SimplyAboutEconomics #AttentionEconomy #DigitalLiteracy #BehavioralEconomics #LinkedInLearning
