Managing the Attention Economy
How to become more mindful of our digital spaces.
This past week has been another series of dystopian headlines. From the Coronavirus to Trump’s impeachment, nothing seems to be going well. Fear, anxiety, anger, resentment are quelling around us as we navigate through this new decade.
Wars are happening all around the world as we speak, but many of us aren’t aware of the battleground in our own homes — our digital screens.
The screens from our phones to TV have become hijacked by those willing to pay top-dollar to influence our thinking. Trump and Bloomberg paid an estimated $11M to run 60-second advertisements during the Superbowl this past weekend. With an election looming around the corner, not even a pandemic will unite politicians to work together.
But what does this mean for us?
- We have to be extremely vigilant with where we invest our time and energy, especially in our news. We need to stay informed from reputable sources, not social media.
- Be cautious of online conversations. Social media platforms have become innundated with bots and trolls that create discussions using fake profiles. (This had just happened with me on Reddit and Instagram, where I had ten different conversations with ten different profiles, and it ended up being a single person.)
Disconnect from time to time, and engage more with authentic discussions with humans around us. - Though we can’t be in control of what others say, we are in full control of how we react. Let go of the need to respond and take away the power it seeks — attention.
By being proactive with our consciousness, we can start to build a more mindful, digital space.
One month down, and onto the next.
I host a podcast called Yellow Glitter, mindfulness through the eyes and soul of a gay Asian. You can find it on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Overcast, and TuneIn.
Along with a bit of weekly mindfulness, I send out my favorite things I discover each week on my email newsletter at Mindful Moments.
Thanks for reading! Until next time.
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