Study Hall (Episode 7): The Attention Merchants 5/5

We’re finished with the Attention Merchants! It’s a great book—although Part 5 is a little bit weaker than the rest of the book, as Wu misses the opportunity to draw stronger parallels between the digital age and the print, radio and TV ages (they’re there!).

Wu finishes strong, with a call for a “rewilding” of our attention, a movement to take back our time from commercial attention-gathering and focus on things that actually matter. And who can argue with that? (I can…a little: Not sure that legislation is the answer! SOME, very carefully drafted legislation could help, but the challengeof controlling your attention requires a much more sustained, individual effort—in which, unfortunately, the state can’t be much help.)