Resisting the Exploitation of Human Attention in the Digital Age

The article argues that modern digital technologies, especially smartphones and social media platforms, have radically transformed human life over the past 15 years by capturing and monetizing attention on an unprecedented scale. The authors introduce the concept of ‘human fracking,’ comparing it to the extraction of natural resources: just as oil fracking injects chemicals into the earth to extract fuel, tech companies deploy addictive content and algorithmic feeds to extract human attention for profit. This process damages individuals’ mental health, erodes social relationships, and undermines political and psychological well-being. According to the authors, attention—our capacity to think, care, and connect—is being commodified, posing an existential threat to humanity itself.

However, they argue that awareness of this exploitation is growing, and movements resisting it are beginning to form. Drawing historical parallels with the rise of environmentalism and labor movements, the text calls for a collective struggle to reclaim human attention as a shared and sacred resource. The authors label this resistance ‘attention activism’ and advocate for the creation of coalitions, sanctuary spaces, and educational practices that nurture mindful and meaningful engagement. They envision a new kind of politics centered on ‘attensity’—the freedom to direct and reclaim our attention—and urge readers to challenge Big Tech’s domination of the human psyche before it fully reshapes society.