Attention Economy and Will Power Crisis
We analyze the attention economy—its root causes, consequences, and potential solutions.
More people are connected to the internet as businesses strive to capture their attention. Social media giants employ behavioral tactics to retain users on their platforms and display more advertisements. The problem is that users “unknowingly” choose to spend time on the platform, spending 2-3 hours a day on it, which could be contributing to their life’s purpose instead. As a result, the world is losing students learning new subjects, scientists researching, and entrepreneurs developing new products by giving time or attention to the platform.
Problems
Macro Problems of Attention Economy
More people are connected to the internet; more businesses are trying to catch their attention. The number of apps has increased 35x, and smartphone sales have grown 5x since 2010.[i]
Businesses advertise services on social media. The digital ad spent is estimated to be $549B[ii].
Social media giants TikTok, Meta (Instagram and Facebook), and Google (YouTube) use behavioral tricks to keep users on their platforms and to show more advertisements.[iii]
The problem is that users “ unknowingly” choose to spend time on the platform, spending 2-3 hours a day on it, which could be contributing to their life purpose instead.
The economy monetizing users’ attention for digital ads is called an “attention economy.”
As a result, the world is losing students learning new subjects, scientists researching, and entrepreneurs developing new products by giving time or attention to the platform.
Why now? “Brain rot” became a word of 2024
In January 2025, the Oxford Dictionary chose “Brain rot” as a word of 2024.
“Brain rot” refers to a person’s mental state due to overconsumption of trivial online content. The term experienced a 230% increase in usage frequency between 2023 and 2024. [iv]
Consequences of brain rot include difficulty organizing information, solving problems, making decisions, and recalling information.
Behavioral tricks to keep users hooked on the platform[v]
Flowchart of how users act in the attention economy
When users strive for their goals (e.g., promotion, entrance exam, scientific progress, building a great family, etc..), it takes effort. The effort brings stress or boredom.
Access to smartphones
Frictionless hardware design and UX let users unconsciously use their smartphones.
A typical user unlocks her smartphone 80 times a day. They do so 1 out of 2 times without knowing why they unlock their smartphone. [vi]Go online
The internet is full of advertisements targeting users. These target advertisements are fine-tuned to be clicked, distract users from accomplishing their original goals, if any, and keep users clicking from ad to ad. News websites show 7 to 20 ads per page, e-commerce websites show 5 to 15 ads per page, and search engine results show 2 to 4 ads per search page. Also, going online is finding something new, and the information gathering triggers dopamine release, reinforcing habitual information-seeking behaviors.[vii]Receive push notifications
The push notifications bring users’ attention to specific apps. The average US smartphone user receives 46 app push notifications per day.[viii]Consume content on social media.
The platforms use a) Intermittent variable rewards, b) emotionally engaging content, c) adaptive algorithms, and d) autoplay and recommendations to attract and keep users on the platforms. In 2024, internet users spend 2 hours and 12 minutes daily on social networking services.[ix]Intermittent variable rewards
The use of intermittent variable rewards keeps users hooked on the platform; such functions include the Pull-to-Refresh Mechanism, like pulling a lever on a slot machine to get something exciting. The engineers behind electronic gambling machines (EGMs) later applied similar techniques to social media platforms to increase engagement. [x]Emotionally engaging content
The contents on the platforms are designed to keep people hooked by prioritizing emotionally engaging content (e.g., outrage, humor, or controversy) because it maximizes retention[xi], inducing dopamine and making people feel good regardless of excitement or anger[xii] and reactions.Adoptive algorithm
The platforms learn users’ preferences and show suitable content to keep them on the platform.Autoplay and recommendations
The platforms are designed without automatic stop functions that keep users hooked on the content.
Experience mood swings
As a result of consuming content, users get emotionally unstable, a state called “mood swings,” which induces dopamine. [xiii]Reactions (Share, Like, Comment, and Post)
Platforms use a) our social validation and reciprocity, and b) sensational content to keep users spending time on the platform and spread content.Social validation and Reciprocity
Users are more likely to “Like” their friends’ content, and the receiver of the shared content is more likely to respond to the content because of our desires for social validation and reciprocity. [xiv] For example, many platforms (e.g., Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp) force social reciprocity by showing when a message has been read. This increases social pressure to respond immediately, keeping users engaged[xv]
Sensational content (including fake news):
The Guardian’s analysis found that fictional content often outperforms reality, as sensationalist and misleading videos tend to be prioritized by engagement-driven algorithms. [xvi] Facebook's algorithm does not always prioritize truth but rather engagement, making fake news spread faster than factual content.[xvii]
Depression
As a result of dopamine overstimulation and isolation, users experience depression.Dopamine overstimulation
Similar to other forms of addiction, repeated activation of this pathway may lead to desensitization, requiring more intense stimuli to achieve the same dopamine "high," leading to a state known as dopamine overstimulation. This persistent overstimulation may cause the brain's reward system to become desensitized, resulting in a reduced ability to experience pleasure, a condition termed anhedonia, which is a core symptom of depression. [xviii]
Isolation
Spending time on the platform means spending less time on other activities. Emotional deficits caused by digital addiction include alienation from family and peers, hostility, and poor interpersonal relationships, all of which contribute to depressive symptoms.[xix]
Users’ Problems in Attention Economy
According to the American Psychological Association, Americans name a lack of willpower as the number one reason they struggle to meet their goals.[xx]
Paying too much attention can deplete our willpower, as it is a limited resource. Our focus is limited 24 hours a day, and high-quality decision-making requires energy, such as flexing, which requires energy from our muscles and can lead to fatigue. [xxi]
Lack of willpower distracts us from our goal and costs $21,940 per year. E.g., scrolling instead of working($30/h), mindlessly keeping digital subscriptions ($10/item), therapy sessions ($200/hr), and enhanced focus leading promotion and acquiring new skills.
Users’ cost problem breakdown
Tested approaches
When internet users access content online, they must go through browsers, applications, and plugins to access the content. On each level, ad-driven companies design ecosystems to capture users' attention; however, there are approaches to mitigate the attention economy at each layer.
Layers to access content in the attention economy (left) and the non-attention economy (right)
Preventative approach
Government
There is a policy or regulation at the government level. For example, the Chinese government has declared that internet addiction is a “public health hazard.” The South Korean government similarly announced that internet addiction had become a significant public health issue. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Europe’s privacy law (effective since 2018), governs how companies collect, store, and use user data to reduce targeted advertisements and, therefore, reduce user mind-wondering.
Social Service
Education is provided at the social service level. Some schools teach social network behavioral tricks and how to avoid them.Device
The Light Phone[xxii] from the US and Punkt[xxiii] from Switzerland are developing so-called “dumb phones” or “brick phones,” with limited functions and fewer notifications. The Light Phone was competing with GAFA through an anti-social network ad campaign. The company branded itself as “weekend phones” as its customers cannot get away from their smartphones but want to enjoy detaching from their devices on the weekends. The home electronics brand Balmuda developed The Balmuda Phone[xxiv] in Japan, but it is discontinued. The user discusses the poor battery life, usability, and camera quality.[xxv]Operating System
The Light Phone is developing its own operating system, rather than relying on iOS and Android. Punkt and Balmuda phones are run on Google’s Android OS.People
If users are aware, setting limits on screen time, curating feeds, pursuing non-digital interests, connecting offline with positive people, and engaging in a digital detox will work.Browser
Brave Browser[xxvi] allows users to accept or block ads on the Browser level. Once users enable ads to be shown, they can earn digital tokens for the number of ads they see online.Application
At the Application level, meditation applications such as Calm or Insight Timer exist. Still, these Apps are run on “noisy” devices with default-on notification settings from other Apps such as Instagram or other social network Apps. BeReal is a social networking app that avoids polarized images. Users are prompted to take photos of their real life without filters when they receive the notifications.Plugin
On the plugin level, there are Ad blockers, which prevent Ads from being shown on browsers.
Treatment approach
Therapy
Once users get addicted to the internet, there are medical institutions that provide therapy to cure the internet addiction.
Multi-layer Approach
Device, OS, Browser, Application, Plugin
There is an approach to penetrating devices to access content. Hashida Koichi[xxvii] talks about the concept of personal AI living in a device that supports users in accessing content without users going through the internet on a browser. Personal AI replaces search engines, eliminating all advertisements. [xxviii] Hashida said that competition among personal AI developers eliminates personal AIs from recommending unrelated actions or manipulating users.
Personal AI (right) and layers to access contents
There are companies developing devices with proprietary OS and interfaces. Ai Pin from Humane and Rabbit R1 from Rabbit are “phones without screens,” both launched in 2024, and users can access the content by bypassing browsers. The humane CEO explicitly mentioned that screen time does not benefit us but distracts us.[xxix]
However, neither device went well. The devices had issues with 1) high battery consumption, 2) inaccurate AI, 3) overheating problems, and 4) slow response. Each piece of hardware heavily relies on cloud-based processing for voice commands, which causes slow response times. For example, the hardware recognizes users' voices, sends them to a cloud server, processes them on the cloud, sends back the result, and shows it to users. As a result, more AI pins were returned than purchased.[xxx] Users say the only thing they can ask for an AI pin is time. Now, Humane wants to license its CosmOS to third parties. Rabbit R1 received reviews that many third-party integrations (DoorDash, Uber, Midjourney) were half-baked with security issues.[xxxi]
Although underfunded compared to Humane ($30M in 2020, $100M in 2021, $100M in 2023)[xxxii] and Rabbit ($30M in 2023, $28M in 2024)[xxxiii], Light Phone II by Light ($250K in 2016 and $12.5M in 2025)[xxxiv] has positive user reviews. Its distraction-free story resonates with its core users.
Comparison of devices in the attention economy
Appendix
History of Internet addiction and its consequences
Internet Addiction is a new type of Addiction in Human History without Regulation[xxxv]
Behavioral addictions like gambling were not officially recognized as addictions until 2013, with the American Psychiatric Association (APA) acknowledging excessive gambling as a form of addiction.
Governments regulate substance use due to their addictive nature (e.g., age limits for alcohol and cigarettes and packaging regulations for cigarettes). This reflects the societal understanding of addiction's powerful influence.
Internet addiction, while not officially recognized as a disorder with APA, has been extensively studied, with researchers identifying it as a significant behavioral issue. Various countries, including China and South Korea, consider it a public health concern.
Internet addiction is categorized into distinct types, such as Cyber sexual addiction (e.g., cyberporn), Social media addiction, Net compulsions (e.g., online shopping or gambling), Information overload (e.g., excessive web surfing), and Gaming addiction.
Internet Addiction is a global pandemic.
Internet addiction is a global pandemic. These are old data from the year 2000, but we assume they are more now as the use of social networks grows. [xxxvi]
6 percent of the world’s population has become addicted to the Internet,
4.4 percent of European adolescents were addicted to the internet
9.6 percent of US respondents were addicted
18 percent of Chinese high school students and about 12 percent of Chinese college students were addicted to the internet
Internet usage stays from 6 hours 9 min in 2013 to 6 hours 40 min in 2023 daily.[xxxvii]
Social network usage increased daily from 90 min in 2013 to 151 min in 2023.[xxxviii]
Internet Addiction is Age Agnostic
Gen Z spends more time on SNS
Unlike substances like alcohol or cigarettes, the internet and social media are entirely legal for minors, with few barriers to access.
Children and teens are exposed to these technologies at a time when their moral agency is not fully developed, making them especially vulnerable to addiction.
The brain's prefrontal cortex continues to develop until around the age of 25. This area is involved in controlling impulses and automatic behaviors.
Adolescents struggle significantly more than adults to control automatic reactions in specific situations due to immature prefrontal cortex development.[xxxix]
For this reason, children find self-control challenging.
Tristan Harris, previously employed by Google, drew attention to Snapchat's "streak" feature. This feature displays the consecutive days two users have interacted, motivating users to increase their streak count. Children who place high importance on their connections with friends and have underdeveloped decision-making abilities are particularly susceptible to this design.
Tech Executives don’t allow their children to have Devices
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates do not allow their kids to use technology gadgets.[xl]
Justin Rosenstein, who built the “Like” button on Facebook, purchased a new iPhone and instructed his assistant to set up a parental-control feature to prevent him from downloading any apps. [xli]
As a result of the absence of proper education, teens in low-income communities are exposed to nearly two hours more per day of screens than teens in wealthier communities[xlii]
Consequence of the Internet Addiction
The consequences of Internet Addiction are like other addictions, and they are Physical Health Issues, Mental Health Decline, Cognitive Impairment, and Social and Emotional Disconnection.
Citation & References
[i] Reimagining Smartphone Experience: How ‘Surfaces’ Can Play a Key Role in Making the Phone Smarter, https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/india-reimagining-smartphone-experience
[ii] Digital ad spend worldwide 2027 | Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/237974/online-advertising-spending-worldwide/,
[iii] The average page time on YouTube is 29 hours per month (2.7B monthly active users) in 2024. Similarly in 2024, the average page time on TikTok is 34 hours per month. (1.8B monthly active users), Instagram is 16.5 hours per month (2.2B monthly active users), and Facebook is 15.5 hours per month (3B monthly active users) .
[iv] What is ‘brain rot’? The science behind what digital overload does to our brains | Fox News, https://www.foxnews.com/health/brain-rot-science-behind-too-much-scrolling-does-brains, Habenula, a part of the brain is activated when using a smartphone, while it kills motivations.
[v] Google Deck on Digital Wellbeing 'A Call to Minimize Distraction and Respect Users' Attention' | PPT, https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/google-deck-on-digital-wellbeing-a-call-to-minimize-distraction-and-respect-users-attention/109671786)
[vi] Reimagining Smartphone Experience: How ‘Surfaces’ Can Play a Key Role in Making the Phone Smarter, https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/india-reimagining-smartphone-experience)
[vii] Persuasive Design Techniques in the Attention Economy: User Awareness, Theory, and Ethics, Devangi Vivrekar
[viii] Push Notifications Statistics (2024) - Business of Apps, https://www.businessofapps.com/marketplace/push-notifications/research/push-notifications-statistics/)
[ix] Global daily social media usage 2024 | Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/433871/daily-social-media-usage-worldwide/)
[x] Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction | Business Ethics Quarterly | Cambridge Core, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/ethics-of-the-attention-economy-the-problem-of-social-media-addiction/1CC67609A12E9A912BB8A291FDFFE799)
[xi] Persuasive Design Techniques in the Attention Economy: User Awareness, Theory, and Ethics, Devangi Vivrekar
[xii] Anger's Allure: Are You Addicted to Anger? | Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-shrink/201508/angers-allure-are-you-addicted-anger)
[xiii] Anger's Allure: Are You Addicted to Anger? | Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-shrink/201508/angers-allure-are-you-addicted-anger)
[xiv] Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction | Business Ethics Quarterly | Cambridge Core, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/ethics-of-the-attention-economy-the-problem-of-social-media-addiction/1CC67609A12E9A912BB8A291FDFFE799)
[xv] Persuasive Design Techniques in the Attention Economy: User Awareness, Theory, and Ethics, Devangi Vivrekar
[xvi] Persuasive Design Techniques in the Attention Economy: User Awareness, Theory, and Ethics, Devangi Vivrekar
[xvii] Privacy Literacy: From Doomscrolling to Digital Wellness, Alexandria Chisholm and Sarah Hartman-Caverly
[xviii] Dopamine System Dysregulation in Major Depressive Disorders | International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology | Oxford Academic, https://academic.oup.com/ijnp/article/20/12/1036/3901225?login=false
[xix] Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction | Business Ethics Quarterly | Cambridge Core, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/ethics-of-the-attention-economy-the-problem-of-social-media-addiction/1CC67609A12E9A912BB8A291FDFFE799
[xx] Excerpt From The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It, McGonigal, Kelly
[xxi] Ego Depletion: Baumeister and colleagues introduced the ego depletion model, which posits that willpower functions like a muscle that gets fatigued after exertion. For instance, making repeated decisions throughout the day can deplete this resource, leading to poorer decisions at night. Time of Day Effects: Research shows that people tend to make better decisions earlier in the day when their cognitive resources are fresh. For example, a study on judicial decisions found that judges granted parole more often in the morning, with decisions worsening as the day progressed. (Danziger et al., 2011)
[xxii] The Light Phone, https://www.theThe Light Phone.com/
[xxiii] Punkt.: minimalist design and enhanced data privacy, https://www.punkt.ch/en/
[xxiv] The Balmuda Phone is a compact phone from a high-end toaster company - The Verge, https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/16/22784878/balmuda-phone-announced-specs-price-toaster-japan
[xxv] Business Insider Japan, https://www.businessinsider.jp/post-269885
[xxvi] The browser that puts you first | Brave, https://brave.com/) Since the inception of Brave Rewards, more than 1,000 advertisers have run over 5,900 Brave Ads campaigns, and millions of Brave Rewards users have earned BAT for their attention to those ads.
[xxvii] Decentralized Big Data Team | RIKEN, https://www.riken.jp/en/research/labs/aip/ai_soc/decentralize_bigdata/index.html
[xxviii] Personal AI and Risk Management, Koichi Hashida (https://japio.or.jp/00yearbook/files/2024book/24_4_01.pdf
[xxix] Humane AI Pin review: the post-smartphone future isn’t here yet - The Verge, https://www.theverge.com/24126502/humane-ai-pin-review
[xxx] Revisiting the 3 Biggest Hardware Flops of 2024: Apple Vision Pro, Rabbit R1, Humane Ai Pin | WIRED, https://www.wired.com/story/revisiting-the-three-biggest-flops-of-2024/
[xxxi] Revisiting the 3 Biggest Hardware Flops of 2024: Apple Vision Pro, Rabbit R1, Humane Ai Pin | WIRED, https://www.wired.com/story/revisiting-the-three-biggest-flops-of-2024/
[xxxii] Humane - Raised $230M Funding from 24 investors - Tracxn](https://tracxn.com/d/companies/humane/__VsoWgAzFtEpKoJKoAVYDjylPIIR_ksmQkeNThTB-tLQ/funding-and-investors#summary
[xxxiii] rabbit - Recent News & Activity](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/rabbit-hmi/company_overview/overview_timeline
[xxxiv] Light Phone - Raised $12.7M Funding from 7 investors – Tracxn, https://tracxn.com/d/companies/light-phone/__d1OAR_FkG-FNOgbpDVWTEIheUwsYSc2zMOusGkxFSNQ/funding-and-investors
[xxxv] Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction | Business Ethics Quarterly | Cambridge Core, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/ethics-of-the-attention-economy-the-problem-of-social-media-addiction/1CC67609A12E9A912BB8A291FDFFE799
[xxxvi] Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction | Business Ethics Quarterly | Cambridge Core, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/ethics-of-the-attention-economy-the-problem-of-social-media-addiction/1CC67609A12E9A912BB8A291FDFFE799
[xxxvii] Revealing Statistics and Usage Facts - Kutest Kids, https://www.kutestkids.com/blog/average-screen-time-statistics-and-facts-usage
[xxxviii] Worldwide Daily Social Media Usage (New 2024 Data), https://whatsthebigdata.com/social-media-users-statistics/
[xxxix] Celia Hodent, The Psychology of Video Games
[xl] Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy
[xli] 'Our minds can be hijacked': the tech insiders who fear a smartphone dystopia | Technology | The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia?awc=5795_1537125189_aa4f92599be76b0c7a75b8f0b079e738
[xlii] Rideout, V., & Robb, M. B. 2019. The Common Sense census: Media use by tweens and teens, 2019. San Francisco: Common Sense Media
Problems
Macro Problems of Attention Economy
More people are connected to the internet; more businesses are trying to catch their attention. The number of apps has increased 35x, and smartphone sales have grown 5x since 2010.[i]
Businesses advertise services on social media. The digital ad spent is estimated to be $549B[ii].
Social media giants TikTok, Meta (Instagram and Facebook), and Google (YouTube) use behavioral tricks to keep users on their platforms and to show more advertisements.[iii]
The problem is that users “ unknowingly” choose to spend time on the platform, spending 2-3 hours a day on it, which could be contributing to their life purpose instead.
The economy monetizing users’ attention for digital ads is called an “attention economy.”
As a result, the world is losing students learning new subjects, scientists researching, and entrepreneurs developing new products by giving time or attention to the platform.
Why now? “Brain rot” became a word of 2024
In January 2025, the Oxford Dictionary chose “Brain rot” as a word of 2024.
“Brain rot” refers to a person’s mental state due to overconsumption of trivial online content. The term experienced a 230% increase in usage frequency between 2023 and 2024. [iv]
Consequences of brain rot include difficulty organizing information, solving problems, making decisions, and recalling information.
Behavioral tricks to keep users hooked on the platform[v]
Flowchart of how users act in the attention economy
When users strive for their goals (e.g., promotion, entrance exam, scientific progress, building a great family, etc..), it takes effort. The effort brings stress or boredom.
Access to smartphones
Frictionless hardware design and UX let users unconsciously use their smartphones.
A typical user unlocks her smartphone 80 times a day. They do so 1 out of 2 times without knowing why they unlock their smartphone. [vi]Go online
The internet is full of advertisements targeting users. These target advertisements are fine-tuned to be clicked, distract users from accomplishing their original goals, if any, and keep users clicking from ad to ad. News websites show 7 to 20 ads per page, e-commerce websites show 5 to 15 ads per page, and search engine results show 2 to 4 ads per search page. Also, going online is finding something new, and the information gathering triggers dopamine release, reinforcing habitual information-seeking behaviors.[vii]Receive push notifications
The push notifications bring users’ attention to specific apps. The average US smartphone user receives 46 app push notifications per day.[viii]Consume content on social media.
The platforms use a) Intermittent variable rewards, b) emotionally engaging content, c) adaptive algorithms, and d) autoplay and recommendations to attract and keep users on the platforms. In 2024, internet users spend 2 hours and 12 minutes daily on social networking services.[ix]Intermittent variable rewards
The use of intermittent variable rewards keeps users hooked on the platform; such functions include the Pull-to-Refresh Mechanism, like pulling a lever on a slot machine to get something exciting. The engineers behind electronic gambling machines (EGMs) later applied similar techniques to social media platforms to increase engagement. [x]Emotionally engaging content
The contents on the platforms are designed to keep people hooked by prioritizing emotionally engaging content (e.g., outrage, humor, or controversy) because it maximizes retention[xi], inducing dopamine and making people feel good regardless of excitement or anger[xii] and reactions.Adoptive algorithm
The platforms learn users’ preferences and show suitable content to keep them on the platform.Autoplay and recommendations
The platforms are designed without automatic stop functions that keep users hooked on the content.
Experience mood swings
As a result of consuming content, users get emotionally unstable, a state called “mood swings,” which induces dopamine. [xiii]Reactions (Share, Like, Comment, and Post)
Platforms use a) our social validation and reciprocity, and b) sensational content to keep users spending time on the platform and spread content.Social validation and Reciprocity
Users are more likely to “Like” their friends’ content, and the receiver of the shared content is more likely to respond to the content because of our desires for social validation and reciprocity. [xiv] For example, many platforms (e.g., Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp) force social reciprocity by showing when a message has been read. This increases social pressure to respond immediately, keeping users engaged[xv]
Sensational content (including fake news):
The Guardian’s analysis found that fictional content often outperforms reality, as sensationalist and misleading videos tend to be prioritized by engagement-driven algorithms. [xvi] Facebook's algorithm does not always prioritize truth but rather engagement, making fake news spread faster than factual content.[xvii]
Depression
As a result of dopamine overstimulation and isolation, users experience depression.Dopamine overstimulation
Similar to other forms of addiction, repeated activation of this pathway may lead to desensitization, requiring more intense stimuli to achieve the same dopamine "high," leading to a state known as dopamine overstimulation. This persistent overstimulation may cause the brain's reward system to become desensitized, resulting in a reduced ability to experience pleasure, a condition termed anhedonia, which is a core symptom of depression. [xviii]
Isolation
Spending time on the platform means spending less time on other activities. Emotional deficits caused by digital addiction include alienation from family and peers, hostility, and poor interpersonal relationships, all of which contribute to depressive symptoms.[xix]
Users’ Problems in Attention Economy
According to the American Psychological Association, Americans name a lack of willpower as the number one reason they struggle to meet their goals.[xx]
Paying too much attention can deplete our willpower, as it is a limited resource. Our focus is limited 24 hours a day, and high-quality decision-making requires energy, such as flexing, which requires energy from our muscles and can lead to fatigue. [xxi]
Lack of willpower distracts us from our goal and costs $21,940 per year. E.g., scrolling instead of working($30/h), mindlessly keeping digital subscriptions ($10/item), therapy sessions ($200/hr), and enhanced focus leading promotion and acquiring new skills.
Users’ cost problem breakdown
Tested approaches
When internet users access content online, they must go through browsers, applications, and plugins to access the content. On each level, ad-driven companies design ecosystems to capture users' attention; however, there are approaches to mitigate the attention economy at each layer.
Layers to access content in the attention economy (left) and the non-attention economy (right)
Preventative approach
Government
There is a policy or regulation at the government level. For example, the Chinese government has declared that internet addiction is a “public health hazard.” The South Korean government similarly announced that internet addiction had become a significant public health issue. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Europe’s privacy law (effective since 2018), governs how companies collect, store, and use user data to reduce targeted advertisements and, therefore, reduce user mind-wondering.
Social Service
Education is provided at the social service level. Some schools teach social network behavioral tricks and how to avoid them.Device
The Light Phone[xxii] from the US and Punkt[xxiii] from Switzerland are developing so-called “dumb phones” or “brick phones,” with limited functions and fewer notifications. The Light Phone was competing with GAFA through an anti-social network ad campaign. The company branded itself as “weekend phones” as its customers cannot get away from their smartphones but want to enjoy detaching from their devices on the weekends. The home electronics brand Balmuda developed The Balmuda Phone[xxiv] in Japan, but it is discontinued. The user discusses the poor battery life, usability, and camera quality.[xxv]Operating System
The Light Phone is developing its own operating system, rather than relying on iOS and Android. Punkt and Balmuda phones are run on Google’s Android OS.People
If users are aware, setting limits on screen time, curating feeds, pursuing non-digital interests, connecting offline with positive people, and engaging in a digital detox will work.Browser
Brave Browser[xxvi] allows users to accept or block ads on the Browser level. Once users enable ads to be shown, they can earn digital tokens for the number of ads they see online.Application
At the Application level, meditation applications such as Calm or Insight Timer exist. Still, these Apps are run on “noisy” devices with default-on notification settings from other Apps such as Instagram or other social network Apps. BeReal is a social networking app that avoids polarized images. Users are prompted to take photos of their real life without filters when they receive the notifications.Plugin
On the plugin level, there are Ad blockers, which prevent Ads from being shown on browsers.
Treatment approach
Therapy
Once users get addicted to the internet, there are medical institutions that provide therapy to cure the internet addiction.
Multi-layer Approach
Device, OS, Browser, Application, Plugin
There is an approach to penetrating devices to access content. Hashida Koichi[xxvii] talks about the concept of personal AI living in a device that supports users in accessing content without users going through the internet on a browser. Personal AI replaces search engines, eliminating all advertisements. [xxviii] Hashida said that competition among personal AI developers eliminates personal AIs from recommending unrelated actions or manipulating users.
Personal AI (right) and layers to access contents
There are companies developing devices with proprietary OS and interfaces. Ai Pin from Humane and Rabbit R1 from Rabbit are “phones without screens,” both launched in 2024, and users can access the content by bypassing browsers. The humane CEO explicitly mentioned that screen time does not benefit us but distracts us.[xxix]
However, neither device went well. The devices had issues with 1) high battery consumption, 2) inaccurate AI, 3) overheating problems, and 4) slow response. Each piece of hardware heavily relies on cloud-based processing for voice commands, which causes slow response times. For example, the hardware recognizes users' voices, sends them to a cloud server, processes them on the cloud, sends back the result, and shows it to users. As a result, more AI pins were returned than purchased.[xxx] Users say the only thing they can ask for an AI pin is time. Now, Humane wants to license its CosmOS to third parties. Rabbit R1 received reviews that many third-party integrations (DoorDash, Uber, Midjourney) were half-baked with security issues.[xxxi]
Although underfunded compared to Humane ($30M in 2020, $100M in 2021, $100M in 2023)[xxxii] and Rabbit ($30M in 2023, $28M in 2024)[xxxiii], Light Phone II by Light ($250K in 2016 and $12.5M in 2025)[xxxiv] has positive user reviews. Its distraction-free story resonates with its core users.
Comparison of devices in the attention economy
Appendix
History of Internet addiction and its consequences
Internet Addiction is a new type of Addiction in Human History without Regulation[xxxv]
Behavioral addictions like gambling were not officially recognized as addictions until 2013, with the American Psychiatric Association (APA) acknowledging excessive gambling as a form of addiction.
Governments regulate substance use due to their addictive nature (e.g., age limits for alcohol and cigarettes and packaging regulations for cigarettes). This reflects the societal understanding of addiction's powerful influence.
Internet addiction, while not officially recognized as a disorder with APA, has been extensively studied, with researchers identifying it as a significant behavioral issue. Various countries, including China and South Korea, consider it a public health concern.
Internet addiction is categorized into distinct types, such as Cyber sexual addiction (e.g., cyberporn), Social media addiction, Net compulsions (e.g., online shopping or gambling), Information overload (e.g., excessive web surfing), and Gaming addiction.
Internet Addiction is a global pandemic.
Internet addiction is a global pandemic. These are old data from the year 2000, but we assume they are more now as the use of social networks grows. [xxxvi]
6 percent of the world’s population has become addicted to the Internet,
4.4 percent of European adolescents were addicted to the internet
9.6 percent of US respondents were addicted
18 percent of Chinese high school students and about 12 percent of Chinese college students were addicted to the internet
Internet usage stays from 6 hours 9 min in 2013 to 6 hours 40 min in 2023 daily.[xxxvii]
Social network usage increased daily from 90 min in 2013 to 151 min in 2023.[xxxviii]
Internet Addiction is Age Agnostic
Gen Z spends more time on SNS
Unlike substances like alcohol or cigarettes, the internet and social media are entirely legal for minors, with few barriers to access.
Children and teens are exposed to these technologies at a time when their moral agency is not fully developed, making them especially vulnerable to addiction.
The brain's prefrontal cortex continues to develop until around the age of 25. This area is involved in controlling impulses and automatic behaviors.
Adolescents struggle significantly more than adults to control automatic reactions in specific situations due to immature prefrontal cortex development.[xxxix]
For this reason, children find self-control challenging.
Tristan Harris, previously employed by Google, drew attention to Snapchat's "streak" feature. This feature displays the consecutive days two users have interacted, motivating users to increase their streak count. Children who place high importance on their connections with friends and have underdeveloped decision-making abilities are particularly susceptible to this design.
Tech Executives don’t allow their children to have Devices
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates do not allow their kids to use technology gadgets.[xl]
Justin Rosenstein, who built the “Like” button on Facebook, purchased a new iPhone and instructed his assistant to set up a parental-control feature to prevent him from downloading any apps. [xli]
As a result of the absence of proper education, teens in low-income communities are exposed to nearly two hours more per day of screens than teens in wealthier communities[xlii]
Consequence of the Internet Addiction
The consequences of Internet Addiction are like other addictions, and they are Physical Health Issues, Mental Health Decline, Cognitive Impairment, and Social and Emotional Disconnection.
Citation & References
[i] Reimagining Smartphone Experience: How ‘Surfaces’ Can Play a Key Role in Making the Phone Smarter, https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/india-reimagining-smartphone-experience
[ii] Digital ad spend worldwide 2027 | Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/237974/online-advertising-spending-worldwide/,
[iii] The average page time on YouTube is 29 hours per month (2.7B monthly active users) in 2024. Similarly in 2024, the average page time on TikTok is 34 hours per month. (1.8B monthly active users), Instagram is 16.5 hours per month (2.2B monthly active users), and Facebook is 15.5 hours per month (3B monthly active users) .
[iv] What is ‘brain rot’? The science behind what digital overload does to our brains | Fox News, https://www.foxnews.com/health/brain-rot-science-behind-too-much-scrolling-does-brains, Habenula, a part of the brain is activated when using a smartphone, while it kills motivations.
[v] Google Deck on Digital Wellbeing 'A Call to Minimize Distraction and Respect Users' Attention' | PPT, https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/google-deck-on-digital-wellbeing-a-call-to-minimize-distraction-and-respect-users-attention/109671786)
[vi] Reimagining Smartphone Experience: How ‘Surfaces’ Can Play a Key Role in Making the Phone Smarter, https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/india-reimagining-smartphone-experience)
[vii] Persuasive Design Techniques in the Attention Economy: User Awareness, Theory, and Ethics, Devangi Vivrekar
[viii] Push Notifications Statistics (2024) - Business of Apps, https://www.businessofapps.com/marketplace/push-notifications/research/push-notifications-statistics/)
[ix] Global daily social media usage 2024 | Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/433871/daily-social-media-usage-worldwide/)
[x] Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction | Business Ethics Quarterly | Cambridge Core, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/ethics-of-the-attention-economy-the-problem-of-social-media-addiction/1CC67609A12E9A912BB8A291FDFFE799)
[xi] Persuasive Design Techniques in the Attention Economy: User Awareness, Theory, and Ethics, Devangi Vivrekar
[xii] Anger's Allure: Are You Addicted to Anger? | Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-shrink/201508/angers-allure-are-you-addicted-anger)
[xiii] Anger's Allure: Are You Addicted to Anger? | Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-shrink/201508/angers-allure-are-you-addicted-anger)
[xiv] Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction | Business Ethics Quarterly | Cambridge Core, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/ethics-of-the-attention-economy-the-problem-of-social-media-addiction/1CC67609A12E9A912BB8A291FDFFE799)
[xv] Persuasive Design Techniques in the Attention Economy: User Awareness, Theory, and Ethics, Devangi Vivrekar
[xvi] Persuasive Design Techniques in the Attention Economy: User Awareness, Theory, and Ethics, Devangi Vivrekar
[xvii] Privacy Literacy: From Doomscrolling to Digital Wellness, Alexandria Chisholm and Sarah Hartman-Caverly
[xviii] Dopamine System Dysregulation in Major Depressive Disorders | International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology | Oxford Academic, https://academic.oup.com/ijnp/article/20/12/1036/3901225?login=false
[xix] Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction | Business Ethics Quarterly | Cambridge Core, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/ethics-of-the-attention-economy-the-problem-of-social-media-addiction/1CC67609A12E9A912BB8A291FDFFE799
[xx] Excerpt From The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It, McGonigal, Kelly
[xxi] Ego Depletion: Baumeister and colleagues introduced the ego depletion model, which posits that willpower functions like a muscle that gets fatigued after exertion. For instance, making repeated decisions throughout the day can deplete this resource, leading to poorer decisions at night. Time of Day Effects: Research shows that people tend to make better decisions earlier in the day when their cognitive resources are fresh. For example, a study on judicial decisions found that judges granted parole more often in the morning, with decisions worsening as the day progressed. (Danziger et al., 2011)
[xxii] The Light Phone, https://www.theThe Light Phone.com/
[xxiii] Punkt.: minimalist design and enhanced data privacy, https://www.punkt.ch/en/
[xxiv] The Balmuda Phone is a compact phone from a high-end toaster company - The Verge, https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/16/22784878/balmuda-phone-announced-specs-price-toaster-japan
[xxv] Business Insider Japan, https://www.businessinsider.jp/post-269885
[xxvi] The browser that puts you first | Brave, https://brave.com/) Since the inception of Brave Rewards, more than 1,000 advertisers have run over 5,900 Brave Ads campaigns, and millions of Brave Rewards users have earned BAT for their attention to those ads.
[xxvii] Decentralized Big Data Team | RIKEN, https://www.riken.jp/en/research/labs/aip/ai_soc/decentralize_bigdata/index.html
[xxviii] Personal AI and Risk Management, Koichi Hashida (https://japio.or.jp/00yearbook/files/2024book/24_4_01.pdf
[xxix] Humane AI Pin review: the post-smartphone future isn’t here yet - The Verge, https://www.theverge.com/24126502/humane-ai-pin-review
[xxx] Revisiting the 3 Biggest Hardware Flops of 2024: Apple Vision Pro, Rabbit R1, Humane Ai Pin | WIRED, https://www.wired.com/story/revisiting-the-three-biggest-flops-of-2024/
[xxxi] Revisiting the 3 Biggest Hardware Flops of 2024: Apple Vision Pro, Rabbit R1, Humane Ai Pin | WIRED, https://www.wired.com/story/revisiting-the-three-biggest-flops-of-2024/
[xxxii] Humane - Raised $230M Funding from 24 investors - Tracxn](https://tracxn.com/d/companies/humane/__VsoWgAzFtEpKoJKoAVYDjylPIIR_ksmQkeNThTB-tLQ/funding-and-investors#summary
[xxxiii] rabbit - Recent News & Activity](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/rabbit-hmi/company_overview/overview_timeline
[xxxiv] Light Phone - Raised $12.7M Funding from 7 investors – Tracxn, https://tracxn.com/d/companies/light-phone/__d1OAR_FkG-FNOgbpDVWTEIheUwsYSc2zMOusGkxFSNQ/funding-and-investors
[xxxv] Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction | Business Ethics Quarterly | Cambridge Core, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/ethics-of-the-attention-economy-the-problem-of-social-media-addiction/1CC67609A12E9A912BB8A291FDFFE799
[xxxvi] Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction | Business Ethics Quarterly | Cambridge Core, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/ethics-of-the-attention-economy-the-problem-of-social-media-addiction/1CC67609A12E9A912BB8A291FDFFE799
[xxxvii] Revealing Statistics and Usage Facts - Kutest Kids, https://www.kutestkids.com/blog/average-screen-time-statistics-and-facts-usage
[xxxviii] Worldwide Daily Social Media Usage (New 2024 Data), https://whatsthebigdata.com/social-media-users-statistics/
[xxxix] Celia Hodent, The Psychology of Video Games
[xl] Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy
[xli] 'Our minds can be hijacked': the tech insiders who fear a smartphone dystopia | Technology | The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia?awc=5795_1537125189_aa4f92599be76b0c7a75b8f0b079e738
[xlii] Rideout, V., & Robb, M. B. 2019. The Common Sense census: Media use by tweens and teens, 2019. San Francisco: Common Sense Media
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