Chris Hayes, host of MSNBC's All In and author of The Siren's Call, dives into how modern distractions have commodified our attention. He discusses the strategies used by figures like Donald Trump to exploit attention scarcity, likening social media to a slot machine that detracts from meaningful interactions. Hayes emphasizes the therapeutic power of focused thinking in addressing global issues like climate change and critiques the role of tech moguls in shaping public discourse. Ultimately, he advocates for nurturing deeper connections in a fragmented digital landscape.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Therapeutic Commitment
Commit to intellectual projects, even amidst a busy schedule.
This commitment can be therapeutic and improve focus.
insights INSIGHT
Attention and Climate Change
Attention scarcity impacts our ability to address critical issues, especially climate change.
Prioritizing attention is crucial for effective action.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Open Internet to Closed Platforms
The first digital native generation experienced the open internet's utopian promise and its subsequent enclosure.
This shift from open protocols to closed platforms created a sense of disillusionment.
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Zeynep Tufekci's "Twitter and Tear Gas" examines the role of social media in facilitating and shaping protest movements. The book analyzes how digital technologies are used to organize, coordinate, and disseminate information during protests, particularly in contexts of political repression. Tufekci explores the complex relationship between technology, social movements, and state responses, highlighting both the empowering and limiting aspects of digital tools. The book also delves into the strategies employed by governments to control and suppress online activism. Ultimately, "Twitter and Tear Gas" offers a nuanced perspective on the impact of social media on contemporary political action.
The Sirens' Call
How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource
Chris Hayes
In The Sirens' Call, Chris Hayes delves into the impact of the attention economy on our lives, politics, and society. He argues that the constant assault from attention-seeking technologies and media has fundamentally altered our ability to focus and has significant implications for our mental health, social structures, and political landscape. Hayes draws on a wide range of sources, including philosophers, media theorists, and psychologists, to provide a holistic framework for understanding and reclaiming control over our attention in a world dominated by 'attentional warlordism'[1][3][4].
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Ryan Mac
Kate Conger
Presenting Machines Like Us, a Globe and Mail podcast on technology and people.
We are living in a world of perpetual distraction. There are more things to read, watch and listen to than ever before – but our brains, it turns out, can only absorb so much. Politicians like Donald Trump have figured out how to exploit this dynamic. If you’re constantly saying outrageous things, it becomes almost impossible to focus on the things that really matter. Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon called this strategy “flooding the zone.”
As the host of the MSNBC show All In, Chris Hayes has had a front-row seat to the war for our attention – and, now, he’s decided to sound the alarm with a new book called The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource.Hayes joins Machines Like Us host Taylor Owen to explain how our attention became so scarce, and what happens to us when we lose the ability to focus on the things that matter most.
The Decibel 
