Discussion: How Does the Attention Economy Work?

Why is attention the most valuable resource in the modern economy? How did we shift from an economy of production to an economy of capture? And what happens when everything: politics, media, art, relationships, must compete for a scarce and fragmented resource?

In this session, we'll examine the attention economy as a system: the incentives that drive it, the mechanisms that sustain it, and the effects it produces across institutions and culture.

We'll analyze:

• What makes attention valuable? How did it become the scarce resource?
• How do platforms engineer for capture? What specific mechanisms drive engagement?
• What incentives shape algorithmic design? What does the system optimize for?
• What happens when politics, journalism, education, and culture all compete for attention?
• How does attention scarcity reshape what gets created, funded, and amplified?
• What kinds of content, ideas, and behaviors win in an attention economy vs. other systems?

Our approach
We analyze how systems work rather than debating what should be. This means examining incentive structures, feedback loops, and emergent properties to understand why the attention economy functions as it does, without immediately reaching for moral judgment.

Format:

• Guided discussion with clear analytical focus
• ~120 minutes
• Small group to ensure everyone can contribute

Note on RSVPs:
For small group discussions, each person matters. Not showing up without updating your RSVP results in: 1st = warning, 2nd = waitlist, 3rd = removal from group. Please cancel in advance if plans change.