Attention

Attention serves as the defining political and experiential challenge of the modern era, necessitating a shift toward "attention activism" to counter the predatory nature of the attention economy. Corporations increasingly treat human attention as a finite, extractable resource—a process termed "human fracking"—which commodifies cognitive processes and alienates individuals from their own mental autonomy. While historical definitions of attention often rely on narrow, task-oriented models derived from experimental psychology, contemporary critiques emphasize the importance of spontaneous thinking and the default mode network in maintaining a coherent sense of self. By moving beyond the moralizing discourse of addiction, this analysis highlights how digital platforms exploit cognitive vulnerabilities, ultimately restructuring human consciousness and challenging the traditional boundaries between voluntary, involuntary, and social attention.