The internet is kind of a predatory cesspit now(stephendiehl.com)
347 points by ibobev | 228 comments
Stephen Diehl blog essay arguing the modern internet has become predatory compared with the amateur, non-commercial web of the 1990s.
#attention-economy on Hacker News
9 stories tagged attention-economy, newest first.
Dopamine Fracking(igerman.cc)
732 points by igmn | 372 comments
A personal blog post coining "dopamine fracking": pouring disproportionate resources into casual activities to extract the most concentrated dopamine hit.
How we lost communication to entertainment(ploum.net)
651 points by 8organicbits | 365 comments
Blog post by Ploum arguing that online communication tools have been turned into entertainment platforms, eroding genuine communication.
Thin desires are eating life(joanwestenberg.com)
785 points by mitchbob | 252 comments
Joan Westenberg essay arguing that shallow, easily satisfied 'thin desires' driven by modern technology are crowding out deeper, more meaningful wants.
Engineered Addictions(masonyarbrough.substack.com)
654 points by echollama | 404 comments
A Substack essay on how Silicon Valley companies engineer addictive products that monetize users' attention and relationships.
The librarian immediately attempts to sell you a vuvuzela(kaveland.no)
430 points by rkaveland | 307 comments
A blog essay by Robin Kåveland using a library metaphor to critique how modern websites and the internet push ads and distractions on visitors.
Kill your Feeds – Stop letting algorithms dictate what you think(usher.dev)
683 points by tom_usher | 268 comments
A March 2025 blog post arguing that algorithmic social media feeds manipulate what people consume and think, and urging readers to take back control from them.
Stimulation Clicker(neal.fun)
2865 points by meetpateltech | 553 comments
Stimulation Clicker is an interactive browser clicker game by Neal Agarwal, starting with a single "Click me" button that escalates into overstimulation.
The slow death of authenticity in an attention economy(coryzue.com)
415 points by czue | 285 comments
Cory Zue's blog post explaining his growing pessimism about Twitter and how engagement-driven tactics erode authenticity in an attention economy.