Introduction

Abstract

Across the social order, complaints are growing about a scarcity of attention. In the current context, attention is perceived as bearing a similarity to money: most of us do not have enough of it, we seek more of it, but it is unequally distributed across the board. We are yet to understand the full consequences of digitization and how it will change politics, ethics, and economics, just as print may have done in the early modern period. This book, however, can help us by sketching two fundamental themes of this revolution. First, a reshaping of human agency and its place in the environment. Second, a strong push toward attention commodification and the essential role played by brands.