An epheral entity watches. It’s misty fingers stretch out toward us searching for the barest hint of an intention. It listens to our whispered ambitions, reads directions over our shoulder and in an attempt to fulfil (or maybe destroy our purpose) it amplifies our words back at us, louder and more defined. Interruption, distraction, attention. This is no graveyard wraith or will ‘o’ the wisp of legend. Bought to life by a coding nerd, the dreaded algorithm has been released into the wild. As a linear thinking tool it appears to promise freedom and choices. It offers a solution to a problem that it identified you have and offers a solution usually by advertisement or at least by directing your attention to something else which may lead to a sale further on.
Stage magicians use misdirection. The biography and autobiography of Harry Houdini and PT Barnum respectively are good reference guides to illustrate the point – they created mass media attention in a world before the conception of digital and even analogue broadcast technologies. I wonder what they would make of the capabilities of the modern age, Barnum would have a paywall and be a master of click bait whilst 10 second reels of Houdini’s impossible looking escapes would provide the intrigue that he knew would sell more tickets. They understood the importance of attention and how to turn it into a lucrative living.
A self audit of where our attention goes and what it gains in return will reveal that most of us are not so slick. I am continually interrupted and distracted because I have allowed myself to become part of the system that demands attention. The messaging systems of the past – a knock at the door, a slip of paper delivered through the letterbox or the ring of the house wired telephone were easily ignored if out and about doing something productive. Now we take our telephones with us, use them in place of our common sense and rely on them to do jobs that don’t need doing for the most part. I wanted that from an early age, idling in front of the television watching Star Trek. When James T Kirk pulled what we now call a flip phone out of his pocket to be transported back to the safety of his spaceship, I wanted one. Imagine Kirk creeping through an underground city looking for ways to eliminate an out of control mining machine. The communicate beeps it’s 3 pulses, he pulls it out and answers in a whisper to hear “Mr Kirk, I’m calling you today about your social housing provider and offering…” You get the idea.
Our attention has monetary value. If it is not the hourly rate for services rendered or a benefit to how we want to live our life, it is more likely to end up being potential sales to a retailer. Social media is the gateway to a shopping channel. Liken it to walking round an open air market on a sunny day with a pocketful of money and no particular intention to buy. Chances are if you stay long enough you will make a purchase.
Can we fight the invisible hand of the algorithm? Now we know who to fight, we need a strategy. Keep your hands in your pockets for another week. I’m going to explore this idea further next time.
See you down the road.
