attention: (noun) The act or state of applying the mind to something. In 1971, economist Herbert Simon warned that a wealth o
Chapter 1

How attention became currency

Chapter 2

The science of the digital hook

Chapter 3

Algorithms and global battlegrounds

Chapter 4

Reclaiming the human mind

YOUR GOAL

Master of The attention economy

Ch 1 · How attention became currency
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futura Herbert Simon's brilliant prediction

Jul 25

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futura The Attention Economy

Pay attention, pay attention / Your focus is the new gold rush

Jul 25

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futura From eyeballs to algorithms

Jul 25

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From eyeballs to algorithms

futura The shift from broad television ratings to precise digital tracking transformed how media companies value and trade human focus.

Jul 25

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Herbert Simon's brilliant prediction

futura In 1971, a Nobel laureate warned that a wealth of information would inevitably create a poverty of human attention.

Jul 25

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Scroll Toll
BETA

futura Swipe past endless feeds to learn how the attention economy steals your time.

Jul 25

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Fun Fact

Early radio ads: In 1922, a New York real estate firm paid fifty dollars for a ten-minute radio talk, creating the first-ever broadcast commercial.

Jul 25

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Glossary
attention (noun)
The act or state of applying the mind to something. In 1971, economist Herbert Simon warned that a wealth of information would create a poverty of attention.

Jul 25

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Gossip

Would you pay a subscription fee to use social media completely ad-free?

Jul 25

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Quiz

Which famous Tokyo intersection is known as a pioneering giant of physical attention markets?

Jul 25

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futura The birth of cheap news

Jul 25

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Quiz

In what decade did the Nielsen rating system begin measuring television audiences?

Jul 25

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futura The global billboard race

Jul 25

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Quiz

Which early broadcast medium first used sponsored soap operas to capture daytime listeners?

Jul 25

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Quiz

What did Nobel laureate Herbert Simon say a wealth of information creates?

Jul 25

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Quiz

What is the term for the percentage of people who click an online ad out of the total who saw it?

Jul 25

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Quiz

Who coined the term 'attention economy' in his influential 1997 essay?

Jul 25

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Quiz

Which French newspaper first halved its price by using ads in 1836?

Jul 25

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Quiz

What business model shift occurred in the late 1990s to keep search engines free?

Jul 25