Every performer you watch is there for two primary reasons. To express themselves, and to hold your attention. Whether it’s a band, a juggler, or a teacher speaking to a class, the only way to measure performance is to multiply the numbers, and the quantity of time spent consuming.

Just think of attention as another word for time. And time is precious, can we all agree? At the end of your life, you won’t wish you had more money.

I watched the Royal Wedding coverage Saturday morning. Not intentionally. I wondered what Lisa was doing up so early. I’m sure I’m not the only husband who remembers wondering why so many women cared so much when Princess Diana married Prince Charles. I get it now, largely as a result of watching “The Crown” on Netflix.

There was a terrible human tragedy involving a mountain lion in Mt Baker-Snoqualmie forest. I felt sadness and fear, as I love long distance hiking, and I frequently travel alone. When people asked me if I was afraid of being attacked by wildlife, I could honestly say it almost never happens. Not so now.

Another school shooting. Is it me, or are these stories now becoming so familiar they don’t stay in the news cycle as long as they used to? I have mixed feelings about that. I think coverage encourages copycats. But numbness means we become less likely to address the problem.

I’m tuning out Trump, paying very little attention to the daily barrage. It’s getting boring, and I really don’t need the drama. And yet, I argued with some guy on Facebook. About Trump. What a waste of time. He assumed I’m a Liberal. Whatever that is. Couldn’t fathom the idea of someone being Independent. Wanted to label me. I hate that.

So of those last four examples of things that got my attention, I bet you can guess which one I wish I hadn’t bothered with. I know, Not a tough question, since I called it a waste of time.

ATTENTION HACKING

It’s becoming more of a science, and less of an art. You see, although our human emotions and behavior patterns are complex to us, a lot of how we react to specific stimuli is more predictable than you’d expect.

What’s different now is that there is a mother lode of data being collected by entities that exist only to monetize it.

Ever wonder why Facebook and Google created products you rely on for free? Imagine if you can that we are the first generation of Homo Sapien in 80,000 years to record for all time just about every thought we communicate in our lifetimes!

That number and quantity of time harvesting the human experience has changed the way we are pitched. It’s more precise now. And just like processed food with added sugar, we are taking the bait.

Heck, we even call it what it is. Clickbait.

Trust me, this is more of a threat than you think. Mapping the human genome is cool. Mapping human stimulus/response is also cool, but we might not like where it leads. Facebook is just the beginning. Technology can now train you to perform and attract attention, digitally.

For free.

They’re hijacking the path from your eyeballs to your brain.

Some of you probably think I’m wearing a tin foil hat about now. Some links below. I’d love to get your thoughts and publish some reader responses. Or you could just go argue with someone on Facebook like I did. Damn.

Best,

Bob

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
Behavioral design applied to tech products by Nir Eyal & Ryan Hoover.

How Technology is Hijacking Your Mind
One of the best articles on how designers take advantage of our psychological flaws published in Thrive Global by Tristan Harris.

The scientists who make apps addictive
A thorough story on the science of persuasion by Ian Leslie in The Economist.

https://hackernoon.com/attention-hacking-is-the-epidemic-of-our-generation-e212e111c675