Human Agency, Artificial Intelligence, and the Attention Economy The Case for Digital Distancing

People relish novelty, enjoy convenience, and are prone to distraction. These natural tendencies are now being dangerously exploited in the digital world. So we find ourselves bewitched by the shimmering screens of our digital devices, like moths circling a flame. It may only be a matter of time before our downward spiral reaches a deadly nadir. Leslie Paul Thiele incisively explores the psychological, social, and political impacts of social media, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms that are designed to capture our attention and maximize engagement. Digital technologies offer countless benefits. But in the attention economy, they also heighten distraction and dependence, erode cognitive and social skills, proliferate misinformation, amplify political polarization, increase social isolation, and leave us despondent. Governmental regulation is needed, but it cannot replace the individual’s responsibility to exercise self-governance. Thoroughly grounded in the latest scientific research but accessible to the general reader, this book explains how we can cultivate the dispositions, habits, and skills needed to sustain human agency and strengthen democratic prospects. In an age of incessant technological upgrading, Thiele demonstrates a vital and practical means to avert human downgrading.