Attention activism as an antidote for 'attention fracking'

I recently came across the concept of attention activism, and thought “This is amazing, I’ve got to tell my clients and blog readers (all 3 of you) about this”. I started looking into it when I was thinking about how cool and exciting the Internet felt back in the early 2000’s, and wondering if it was a natural progression that it became… whatever it is now, or if something went wrong along the way.

From a mental health perspective, one wrong turn was the monetisation of how we pay attention to things on the internet. There is big money in figuring out how to get the most people to watch the most ads, and in figuring out our personal habits in order to sell to us more effectively. So for many years, companies have worked tirelessly to figure out the best ways to keep us glued to the screen, and create anxiety when we're away from our devices, refining human attention into a marketing equation to maximise revenue. Some writers have called this ‘attention fracking’, named after the damaging process by which fossil fuels are extracted from already depleted natural environments.

If you’ve ever wondered why you have increasing trouble focusing on work, feeling present in your body or the physical space, or empathised with somebody when they said they need to stop doomscrolling, you might be noticing the impacts of attention fracking on your human experience. Attention activism is the radical idea that if we start to understand human attention as a precious resource, and become more aware of the ways it’s being mined and exploited, we begin the process of taking it back. We can connect with attention activism through the areas of education and awareness, organising with others around it, and creating 'attention sanctuaries' in our everyday lives.

Organising is so important, because working on this by ourselves is really tough. Have you experienced ‘that friend’ who does a digital detox, and regretted losing contact with them because they’re not engaging in the ways you’re used to? The systems which have funnelled us into connecting via social media and technology are the same systems which make individual attention activism more difficult, so starting conversations with like-minded friends and colleagues is a great starting point for prioritising human attention more in your personal networks.

Another important concept in attention activism is sanctuary, the idea of creating spaces and experiences where your attention is fiercely protected from the constant distractions of attention fracking. You could experiment with this by making a space at home where there are no electronic devices you can easily access, with your phone on silent in another room, and some gentle soothing visuals, sounds and cushions. Consciously know that you can go into that space when you need to escape from the world and reclaim your attention for a moment, and see how that idea sits with you. And when you need it, go into that space and remind yourself that the world can’t get to you in there, and see how that feels.

There could be anxiety, especially at first. Part of the attention fracking process is to convince you that you can’t live without your devices and news feed, that there’s something wrong if you’re not trying to stay engaged at all times. But if you stick with it, you might get to experience your attention in a richer, more satisfying form, even if it’s just focused on your breathing or an object in your attention sanctuary. However you do it, consider the idea that your attention should be treated like gold or diamonds, carefully hoarded and selectively shared with people and things which are worthy of this precious resource.