How the Attention Economy Is Devouring Gen Z — and the Rest of Us

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Jul 8, 2025

Kyla Scanlon, an influential voice on the economics of attention and author of “In This Economy?”, discusses how the attention economy is reshaping politics and the job market, particularly for Gen Z. She dives into the fear of job loss due to AI and the stark economic challenges faced by today's youth. From Donald Trump’s media strategy to the psychological toll of technology, Kyla highlights a generational struggle for meaningful work and connection in an increasingly distracted world. She emphasizes attention as a crucial economic resource, challenging traditional success metrics.

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INSIGHT

Why Gen Z Feels Stuck in a Broken Economy Without a Clear Path

Gen Z faces a fundamentally different economy from previous generations, marked by the disappearance of predictable progress, such as a reliable return on college education and attainable home ownership. Many young people experience anxiety, fear, and nihilism because traditional career ladders and economic milestones feel out of reach due to factors like the high cost of college and the uncertainty brought by AI.

This has led to two contrasting responses among Gen Z: some take pragmatic routes like trades, avoiding speculative paths, while others pursue high-risk bets like meme coins or sports betting. The emotional toll is compounded by repeated feelings of rejection—from college admissions to job markets—cultivating a widespread sense of economic instability and meaninglessness.

Kyla Scanlon articulates how these anxieties are both real and amplified by social media narratives, shaping how young people navigate their financial futures and career decisions.

INSIGHT

Gen Z's Economy Feels Unstable

Gen Z lacks a predictable economic progress path like prior generations had.
Their uncertainty about college, jobs, and housing drives widespread anxiety and nihilism.

INSIGHT

AI Creates Career Uncertainty

AI threatens entry-level jobs, creating fear for young workers' futures.
Uncertainty about AI's impact fogs career planning and adds to economic anxiety.

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Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Richard Bach

Russell Munson

The book tells the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a seagull who is different from the others in his flock. While most seagulls focus on eating and survival, Jonathan is passionate about flying and constantly challenges himself to improve his flight skills. His nonconformity leads to his banishment from the flock, but he continues to pursue his dreams, eventually finding other like-minded seagulls and learning valuable lessons about love, kindness, and transcendence. The story is an allegory about seeking a higher purpose in life and not compromising one's vision, even in the face of societal pressure[2][4][5].

A Grief Observed

C.S. Lewis

A Grief Observed is a collection of C.S. Lewis's reflections on his experience of bereavement after the death of his wife, Joy Davidman, in 1960. The book explores the processes undergone by the human brain and mind during grief, questioning the nature of grief, faith, and theodicy. Lewis writes candidly about his anger and bewilderment towards God, his struggle to maintain his faith, and the gradual reacceptance of his theories on suffering. The book is compiled from four notebooks Lewis used to vent and explore his grief, offering profound insights into the human experience of loss and the search for meaning in the midst of suffering.

The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis

The Screwtape Letters is a Christian apologetic novel written in a satirical, epistolary style. It consists of 31 letters from Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to 'Our Father Below' (the Devil), to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon tasked with securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The letters provide advice on various methods of undermining God's influence and promoting abandonment of God, while offering insights into human nature and the Bible. The book is a profound and striking narrative on spiritual warfare and the power of the devil, highlighting the subtle forms of sin such as vanity, pride, and distraction that can lead humans away from God[1][3][4].

Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani are both proof of how the ability to capture attention is power. And the attention economy isn’t reshaping just politics; it’s also reshaping the actual economy: the crypto market, A.I. venture capital, and how people, especially Gen Z, are making career decisions. Kyla Scanlon has emerged as a leading theorist on the economics of attention and is herself a member of Gen Z. She is the author of the book “In This Economy?” and Kyla’s Newsletter on Substack. I asked her on the show to walk us through her theory of the attention economy.

This episode contains strong language.

Mentioned:

“Gen Z and the End of Predictable Progress” by Kyla Scanlon

“‘We Are the Most Rejected Generation’” by David Brooks

“A Divided Gen Z Is Crying for Mercy” by Rachel Janfaza

“The Price of Nails Since 1695” by Daniel E. Sichel

Give People Money by Annie Lowrey

“The World of Wrestling” by Roland Barthes

“Peter Thiel and the Antichrist” by Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Book Recommendations:

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.

You can find the transcript and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.html

This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Rollin Hu. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris with Kate Sinclair. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Marie Cascione, Annie Galvin, Elias Isquith, Marina King, Jan Kobal, Kristin Lin and Jack McCordick. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser.

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