Social Media, Privacy and The Attention Economy

This was a resource page compiling links and references on the subject of social media, privacy, and the attention economy — topics I've written about extensively in other entries in this journal.

The core argument, which I've come to believe more firmly with each passing year, is simple: social media platforms are not neutral tools. They are attention extraction systems, designed by some of the most talented engineers alive, optimized to keep you engaged at the expense of your focus, your peace, and in many cases your sense of reality.

Some useful starting points if you want to go deeper on this subject:

The Center for Humane Technology — founded by Tristan Harris, a former Google design ethicist who became one of the most articulate critics of the attention economy.

The Social Dilemma — a documentary that covers this territory accessibly and is worth watching with family.

My own writing on the subject is collected under the Social Media category in this journal. The short version: I left social media years ago and have never regretted it for a single day.