Opting Out of the Attention Economy

A personal essay on reclaiming focus in an age of infinite scroll — and building spaces that respect human attention.

Every app on your phone is competing for the same thing: your attention. Not to serve you, but to sell you. The attention economy turns human focus into a commodity, and we're all paying the price.

The Cost of Free

Free platforms aren't free. You pay with your attention, your data, and increasingly, your mental health. The infinite scroll isn't a feature — it's a trap designed to keep you engaged past the point of enjoyment.

Building Different

What if we designed digital spaces that respected attention instead of exploiting it? Spaces with natural endpoints, clear purposes, and no algorithmic manipulation. That's what the indie web offers.

Small Steps

You don't have to delete everything. Start by noticing: when do you reach for your phone out of habit versus intention? Build awareness first, then build alternatives.