The Clock is Ticking

Every day the equivalent of over 700 human lifetimes of attention are consumed by social media in the United States. You read that correctly. Every single day in America we collectively give the equivalent of over 700 full, 80 year human lifetimes to the little black screen in our pockets. Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, the 30 seconds of small talk with your neighbor at the mailbox. Milestones and minutiae, all swallowed by an algorithm. 

Human attention is our most precious resource. Where we point our minds and how we choose to fill our time becomes who we are and what we do. Over the past 20 years, social networks have promised to enhance our lives. They’ve promised to unite us– to build communities and enhance human connection. In some ways that’s happened. I live a state away from many friends and family, and it’s a modern marvel that I can be as connected with them as I am despite the distance. But this promise of connection has turned out to be bait and we’ve swallowed it whole. Social media is intentionally designed to capture, hold, and monetize our attention. Every button and feature is specifically built to maximize how long you stay on the app and minimize your willpower to move your attention elsewhere. Algorithms are tailored to push the most outrageous and divisive content to each user. This doesn’t just waste our time–it turns us against one another. As a result, we cede more and more of the essence that makes up our lives to distraction, doom scrolling, and polarization. 

Here in Atlanta, a city with a rich history of civic and community engagement, we have seen how powerful the bonds of human connection can be as a force for positive change. When our collective attention is siphoned away, it weakens the fabric that makes Atlanta so strong and ripples outward from our communities to our country. Because of our history and unique position, we may be well equipped to begin the fight to regain our attention right here in our city. 

I built the Attention Clock after finishing the book The Sirens’ Call and wondering how, in a world where our focus is so sought after, I could call attention to just how much of our attention is ripped from us daily. That’s exactly what  attentionclock.com does. It’s an ever present reminder that the clock is always ticking. My hope is that everyone who engages with The Clock will be inspired to begin intentionally choosing when they want to engage with the digital world rather than being consumed by it. If we don’t take that back, I fear that we will not be guided by the better angels of our nature, but will be devoured by our worst demons.