The Age of Logic is Over. Welcome to the Attention Economy
When creative energy is harvested by systemic theft, and attention is harvested by a mass addiction to digital stimulation, truth is defined by authority instead of reason.
Has humanity reached peak technology? There seems to be little drive to expand beyond the entertainment matrix. Innovation is grinding to a halt under the weight of the administrative state and fraudulent systems of value exchange, which have finally shown the extent of their expiration. Motion does not always equate to action. At the end of the day, rearranging furniture on the deck of a sinking Titanic is a coping mechanism, not progress. The old world is sinking, and those who fail to update will go down with it.
A key issue we are facing is the captivation of human attention by a novel addictive substance: digital stimulation. Platforms like TikTok, Meta products, video games, pornography, and television have created a landscape of mass attention harvesting. Attention is the steering wheel of time and energy - our most valuable assets.
Analytics on individuals create consumer profiles compiled into enormous databases, and this information is used to target advertising and scale profitability. Some have recognized this new terrain and positioned themselves to take advantage of the opportunity. However, the majority have a limited scope in their use of technology and the internet, centering around entertainment, and they willingly give their attention and time to the harvest. Superficial satisfaction is effortless through digital stimulation. For many, it appears to be enough to quench ambition and interest in the physical world.
Given these factors at play in this dawn of the attention economy, I hold the opinion that society, as it exists today, favors those with the greatest aptitude for drawing attention to themselves—not necessarily the most talented or hardworking. The economy, defined by people's interests, does not have an appetite for new technology. TikTok videos and YouTube shorts are in much greater demand. We live in a world of digital junkies.
While many have spoken truth to power and awakened countless others during critical times in modern history, authorities have used their power to distort the truth and mislead millions. When an entity has infinite monetary resources, it can buy the influence of public figures, broadcast networks, enertainment applications, and the policies of social media platforms. In an age where attention is this scarce, people define their perspectives of reality based on the direction of the herd. The false consensus is stimulated through the very same entertainment matrix which harvests our attention in the first place. It’s Plato’s cave cast upon the whole world.
I think we are standing upon a sinking Titanic, and the ship is beyond rescue. The system has become parasitic, feeding upon those of us who are still in motion, myself included. It is a dire situation, but I believe there is a way out. The path out is to migrate to structures, tools, communities, and monetary systems that support individual sovereignty. Freedom is the cure, and it requires a robust diversity of ingredients.
Things are not going to be the same, but is that really so bad? We have a chance to do something great, to actually “build back better” - for lack of a better term. Our dreams and aspirations are like fires in a storm; holding the light, keeping it alive, and showing others the way. One by one, we will gather. One by one, we will light up the world once more.
What ground can I cover? What solutions can I create? We live in a new era of entrepreneurs, and the need for innovation is at an all-time high.
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The why matters.
Lluvias,
Attention itself, as the steering wheel of time, energy, yes, this begins to answer the kind of questions that start with "Why does it matter that ____..." All very important.
My challenge to you:
Can you dive even deeper?
Deeper??
If you find any answer, any hint of an answer, to the following question, please, immediately broadcast it on all channels.
How can we encourage profound curiosity in folks that see survival as staying supplied with beer and net flicks?
The problem, as I comprehend it so far, is about the self talk in our head and the echoing of that self talk we hear in our associates.
By some reckoning, there are 5 levels, low to high, of the culture of this self talk. Listen to how people talk about life, family, friends, and associated expectations.
Themes of self talk, low to high, might look like this:
1. Life sucks
2. My life sucks
3. I am great
4. We are great
5. Life is great
1 & 2 are about survival. Being feared can be seen as powerful at this level. Gang culture and prison culture live here.
I strongly feel that most people have spent substantial time stuck behind the boundary between 2 and 3, little self worth, they spend their days distracting themselves from how bad their life is, often ashamed.
The 3 crowd are the proud professionals, self absorbed and egotistical. High self esteem, low empathy.
4s are team players, members of a band, or extended family that have each other's back. 4s tend to celebrate being part of the group.
MLK was a 5, obviously, but it is important to understand that 5s are fluent in all five cultures.
"I have a dream" = level 3.
"...deeply rooted in the American dream" = level 4. "I've seen the promised land...I may not get there with you" = level 5 talk.
But also level 2, speaking of politicians' "lips dripping with the words of nullification."
Fortunately, 1s are rare, but so are 5s. It takes dedication to stay at 5. There is no upper limit, so the idea is to aim up.
I hope this makes sense and I hope it's hekpful.
mark spark
.
Yessiree Bob! as the old saying goes. I’m going to say something to you because I see your high level of ethics (and logical thinking) and maybe you will get the picture. Suppose everyone was a good student who could learn and apply what they study and not become disinterested or fall asleep at the wheel. With this skill their ability to read and analyze subjects would grow. Suppose they could find more joy in learning, such that they could learn any skill or ability they were interested in.
This is NOT a paid commercial announcement! I started this comment trying to talk about individual responsibility and it rolled into the topic of self-study. There is a connection between the two. The originator of a technology I am thinking about was L. Ron Hubbard. He had to teach people courses that required application of concepts. The study methods used by the students were inadequate and the students were having trouble learning and applying the concepts.
L. Ron Hubbard found that there are three barriers to study. If a person learns how to study and handle these three barriers he becomes a good student and can become his own teacher in any area he wants to.
You can get a glimpse of the technology by consulting two sources.
#1. Seven minute video, and more if you scroll down: https://www.scientology.org/courses/study/overview.html
#2. Here's a 30 minute video on teaching students to recognize and handle the three barriers to study: https://www.scientology.tv/search/?query=Karin
Very sincerely.