Attention and the Economy of Distraction

Inside the Marketplace That Trades Your Time, Shapes Your Thoughts, and Profits From Every Glance

De: Alex Whitman

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Your focus is no longer your own—it’s for sale.

Every ping, every scroll, every irresistible notification is not an accident. It’s the product of a trillion-dollar marketplace where your attention is the hottest commodity. In Attention and the Economy of Distraction, Alex Whitman takes you behind the curtain of the modern economy that trades your time, manipulates your thoughts, and profits from every glance you give your screen.

Drawing on history, psychology, and cutting-edge research, Whitman shows how the battle for attention moved from newspapers and television to smartphones and social media—and why today’s platforms are engineered to keep you hooked. You’ll see how Big Tech, advertisers, and political actors exploit hidden triggers in your brain, and why the algorithms that power your feed are designed to amplify outrage, fear, and distraction.

This isn’t just theory. With compelling real-world stories and data, Whitman exposes how the “attention economy” drives polarization, erodes mental health, reshapes education, and even warps our politics. He explains why so many of us feel addicted to our devices, why putting the phone down feels impossible, and how our very sense of identity is shaped by forces we barely notice.

But this book is not about despair—it’s about reclaiming control. Attention and the Economy of Distraction arms you with the understanding and practical strategies you need to defend your focus, rebuild your ability to think deeply, and live with intention in a world designed to distract you.

Whether you are a casual reader who wonders why you can’t stop scrolling, a parent worried about your kids’ digital lives, or a professional who feels overwhelmed by endless pings and alerts, this book is a wake-up call—and a roadmap.

What You’ll Learn

• The hidden history of how media companies turned your attention into a commodity.
• The psychological tricks—like dopamine loops and the fear of missing out—that keep you compulsively checking your phone.
• How Big Tech and marketers exploit distraction for massive profit.
• The toll this constant capture takes on mental health, education, and democracy.
• Proven ways to reclaim your focus, limit distraction, and regain agency over your time and life.

Perfect For Readers Of:

• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
• Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
• The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

If you’ve ever felt your attention slipping away, this book will show you why—and what you can do about it.