Tyranny of Attention

The relentless extraction and commodification of human attention by digital platforms, media, and advertising. Under the tyranny of attention, every moment of focus is a resource to be harvested, every pause a lost opportunity for monetisation. Algorithms are optimised to capture, hold, and exploit attention, often by amplifying outrage, anxiety, and addiction. The tyranny of attention leaves people exhausted, fragmented, and unable to concentrate on what matters to them. It is the psychological engine of surveillance capitalism.

Example: “He tried to read a book, but his phone buzzed with notifications designed to pull him back—tyranny of attention, turning his own focus into a battlefield for corporate profit.”

Tyranny of Attention by Dumu The Void April 21, 2026