Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know Why We Can’t Focus - with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes
9 snips
Jul 2, 2025 
Chris Hayes, the host of MSNBC's All In, discusses his new book about the fragility of attention in our tech-driven world. He humorously dissects the influence of TikTok and the overwhelming nature of information overload. They explore the media's shift toward engagement over truth and emphasize the need for mindful news consumption to strengthen democracy. The conversation covers parenting in the age of smartphones and the challenges of maintaining individual thought amidst constant distractions, mixing deep insights with playful banter.
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Attention as Source of Alienation
- Attention is internally our life's substance but is extracted externally, creating alienation.
- This loss of control over our minds underlies the pervasive feeling of unease in digital life.
Attention as Commodity Like Labor
- Attention, like labor in capitalism, becomes a fungible commodity traded for fractions of a penny.
- Individually negligible, this trade creates vast fortunes but alienates the individual owner of attention.
Compelled Attention Hijacks Minds
- Our attention evolved to notice danger involuntarily; this compulsion is exploited by technology.
- Devices use haptic and visual signals to hijack our involuntary attention and extract it for profit.
