Economy of Attention: Definition and Challenges for the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

One of the key elements in today’s information society is the economy of attention. The new structured oligopoly based on information goods (i.e., user’s data) is concerned about how to control the time and attention of Internet users. While consumers and prosumers are aware of the excessive use they make of digital devices, and the homogenizing result of this habit, users continue to use them in the same way. This chapter develops the concept of the economy of attention and examines four challenges for the digital economy: the construction of oligopolies based on information, the social and cultural homogenization, the technological challenges for the promotion of equity in the workplace, and the responsible and ethical use of technology. The text introduces the economy of attention as a concept that must be taken into account to conceive creative ways of understanding the digital economy from a human and an ethical perspective.