Big Tech's Battle For Our Attention

[@braincraft]

So... what's the price of your attention? Since we started making this series, I've been really, really considerate with how I'm spending my time - my screen time if you will. It really opened my eyes as to how much mindless time I was spending - at least two hours a day on Instagram, KZbin, Twitter and Facebook. I was giving away FAR too much of my attention without considering that it had more value. Isn't it mind boggling to think that my time on those platforms will shape so much of my life experience? Anyway, I do love technology, but hope this will make you think about the relationship you have with your devices and, perhaps, consider how you can tweak that to have a better balance or be more intentional. I know this series is slower, monochrome and more considered than my usual stuff - that was deliberate so in itself it's not tugging at your eyeballs. I really hope you enjoy - in your own time 🙃

[@Kas-tle]

Great video but it looks like KZbin doesn’t particularly like this... ironic. Almost 40 minutes in on a channel with nearly half a million subscribers and this video has under a thousand views....

[@braincraft]

Ha, yeah - though I don't think this series was going to crush the view count. I'm hoping people will really take something away from it and change their behaviour.

[@Kas-tle]

BrainCraft that’s an attitude I wish more creators had lol :)

[@gardenhead92]

I don't use any social media, but for me, KZbin is *not* mindless time. I almost exclusively watch educational channels (like this one). I've done a tremendous amount of learning on here. It can be a bit addicting admittedly, but addiction is not always bad - it can form good habits. I can think of many "real-world" activities that are much more mindless and less fulfilling than watching educational content.

[@fastdollar1]

Yeah, I started thinking more about this since John Green's video on 'his internet'. I've been trying to be more deliberate with my time especially because all these distractions affect my grades. Because of the power of big tech, I'm not sure if this will become as big of a movement we all hope. I'm pretty sure Google cut off Tim Wu when he started getting too real during his Google talk. Unless we all start paying for our services, this is the price to pay in an attention economy.

[@axnyslie]

The irony was not lost that a video about attention was twice as long as your usual content.

[@swatisharma765]

This needs more attention.

[@braincraft]

The irony is real ;)

[@sharank]

Get out!

[@dandan7884]

judging by the ads youtube shows me they have nailed it down what i hate the most instead of what i like

[@Socratica]

I do still find our phones miraculous. Really curious about *how* they're getting us to spend so much time glued to them. Excited to watch more of your series!

[@VaskoGames]

Its pretty interesting to think about how our attention now essentially shapes our lives in the long term. This also makes me wonder how the attention market impacts our mental well being. After all, in the past if you are reading a book or playing a board game or some other activity, when you get tired of paying attention its rather easy to stop what you are doing and relax. Its also easier to focus on self improvement, maintain a clean/organized living environment, and get much needed mental relaxation. Something I've noticed about myself lately is that I spend a lot of my free time on social media and video games which are designed to take my attention, so rather than relaxing or simply shutting them off after a while, I end up spending waay more time on them. However when I travel to stay with my grandparents (in a small town in Bulgaria) I intentionally limit how much time I spend on participating in the attention economy vs being present. And its interesting to feel the HUGE difference in terms of mental health (if nothing else). I always end up feeling more refreshed, motivated to work, and overall better about myself than when I'm on social media or in the digital world. That's my two cents anyways, can't wait to see the rest of this series :)

[@braincraft]

I appreciate your two cents! Looking forward to your thoughts on future episodes. I'm definitely trying to be more present too.

[@JLCL01]

For me, I notice similar benefits when I spend more time reading comics or watching shows instead of just browsing KZbin or whatnot. For the shows, i pve been wanting to watch more 80s/90s anime stuff. I always feel good and more motivated to do stuff after not bothering with KZbin and etc. To me, it might feel "good" to browse randomly but it's more shallow and short-term. Hope I'm making sense,mum typing this while tired.

[@gabrielfrostbrand2754]

Exactly. Real life has negative feedback built in to it to prevent you from burning out, getting overstimulated, drifting of, dissociating etc. Digital life, especially pn social media hasn´t. It´s mostly just positive feedback loops that are designed to be addictive and escalate with time.

[@deisum]

This is marvelous! For years I've hated online ads because of how aggressively they try to hijack my attention. Having ADD, I'm already especially cognizant of what vies for my attention (TVs in restaurants are the absolute worst), so I tend to be hyper aware of advertising. I'm so glad to see someone finally addressing this in depth, with a wonderfully engaging video.

[@YTEEsenior]

Finally someone agrees with me in the attention war. Thank you BrainCraft!

[@braincraft]

You're most welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@alexwixom4599]

I like that you mentioned reflection. It's something we often forget to do, but it's important. Reflecting on what in your life is getting the most attention and why you spend so much time thinking about it, can reveal a lot about ourselves. It can even be a stress releaver. We should all take stalk of what we're thankful for on a regular basis.

[@addyriverasonda9442]

We can't wait for the next episodes! We are big fans of your work, your way of thinking and how you creatively share it with the world. Thank you Nessy! (:

[@braincraft]

Thanks for your support and attention!

[@beskamir5977]

Even though I never got snared by social media I still ended up spending insane amounts of time online and this kind of series is really helping me realize I should use my time better than watching videos I won't remember anything from anyway. Regardless of how interesting those videos might seem in the moment a lot of them end up being background noise or forgotten a couple mins or hours after I've watched them.

[@dragoncurveenthusiast]

I'm proud to say I didn't solve puzzles on the side while watching this. It wasn't easy, but you got my full attention. Very much looking forward to the rest of the series!

[@ColinJonesPonder]

Due to other events taking my attention away from social media, I've got these in the wrong order ;) Your last sentence says it all. Even my cynical mind, until very recently, used to worry that I was falling behind on my KZbin subscriptions. Now I just forget about it and catch up when I can. The videos aren't going anywhere after all.

[@SerenityFeueropal]

Who else went full screen so they could give this video their complete and undivided attention?

[@quentindiaz3921]

Hah! Joke's on them, I have two screens so I can watch videos and do other things at the same time! ... shit.

[@Donar23]

5:02 I know that, which is why I like my own KZbin comments ...

[@CharlesAngelus]

This is the kind of stuff which really makes me want to write science fiction about things people don't realize are already very real

[@TheGoblinoid]

An hour-long documentary? Whoa! This channel is amazing.

[@braincraft]

Thanks!! I try!

[@skister82]

My children are my number one priority when it comes to my attention because they value that more than any gift I can buy them. Very good video it's always a pleasure to give BrainCraft some of my attention :)

[@alexwixom4599]

Also, super juiced that this is a whole series! So awesome! Thanks for all your hard work.

[@ripwolfe]

I've been on a mission to reduce my social media time, including KZbin. I burn multiple hours watching videos -- but some, like this one, are so good! In comes "selfControl," a Mac app that lets me "turn" off all the attention grabbing websites. Been a time/life-saver for me! And very cool to see Genevieve Bell show up here. I hadn't kept up with her work since I left Intel a number of years ago. She's the perfect person to talk about the impact of mobile devices on our attention.

[@M1574R]

This is a great idea, Vanessa! Looking forward to (but not obsessively checking for) new episodes in this series!

[@MidwestArtMan]

Put my phone away? That’s how I watch the video!

[@tomstevens6833]

Finally! I am so glad that this is being addressed! I can't even get a friends attention to discuss it with them. When I do get there time with I. 2 min they are looking at their phone again and then they say " sorry I have to get to an appointment"! But 5 minutes later they are still in their car "on some app" and haven't left the parking space! With the car still running I must add! It is terrifying! I often think I have no one to even take about it with! And the apps keep changing to become worse.. and people just except in with no notice of it At All! So thank you and everyone who is part of this special series!!! Really like all the topics on this channel. Thanks again!

[@braincraft]

Thanks for your comment Tom! I was definitely one of those people and creating this series has definitely caused me to stop, reflect and try to be more attentive and intentional with my time. Lots more episodes to come :)

[@jornbettin5354]

@@braincraft Thanks, this is a really important topic. As part of your research for further episodes on this topic I would encourage you to look into the concept of "human scale". Here is a good starting point ciic.s23m.com/2018/10/13/towards-human-scale-societies/. All of the links and references provide further context. Your channel reaches a broad audience. It would also be great to see an episode dedicated to neurodiversity from a non-pathologising perspective. The Autistic Collaboration website autcollab.org/ reflects autistic voices and perspectives. Each article highlights specific connections that are obvious to most autistic people but non-obvious to most non-autistic people. To educate the public I regularly give talks on the links between creativity and neurodiversity. Please get in touch if you have specific questions or would like to connect with neurodiversity activists.

[@Dixavd]

I love your smart-casual look in this video: the small ruffles around your neckline with a very thin tie reminds me of a modern simplified version of Victorian attire. Also yes, I do realise the irony that I was distracted by your outfit in a video about consciously allocating attention... but it is a cute outfit. ❤️

[@neophytical]

I definitely needed to see this video -I spend WAY too much time online

[@WoLpH]

As usual I'm programming while having a youtube video in the corner of my screen. So yes you have my attention, but it's only rarely my undivided attention. Only when I hear complicated bits I will skip back and re-watch it thoroughly. This strongly depends on the channel though, some channels such as Veritasium require noticably more attention to follow which is why I actually prefer BrainCraft depending on the time of day.

[@MakoSDV]

I've stopped looking at Facebook and Twitter and I never got into the other social media and I pretty much use ad-blockers everywhere I can. There are still a lot of distractions in my life, but at least I feel that they are significantly reduced and more under my control.

[@pauligrossinoz]

I personally prefer reading to watching videos .... so I'm here for the comments section over and above the video itself. Good video, by the way! 👍

[@scotthendricks5665]

This is basically Manufacturing Consent: The Propaganda Model by Herman and Chomsky 1988. That all major media is trying to manipulate you for advertisers.

[@michelottens6083]

With the added observation that ads drain attention even if you're sceptical of their message. Flooding the zone with attention drains is a strategy for dissuading dissent that wasn't accounted much in early thinking on ideology formation and propaganda.

[@chrisvaiuso6010]

You mean Noam Chomsky. And he is absolutely worth giving some attention.

[@seanmccann8368]

Thank you Vanessa, this is fascinating and so necessary in these days of instant gratification media platforms. Continued success with your excellent channel, one of my favourites on You Tube.

[@braincraft]

This means a lot - thanks Sean!

[@thegoof855]

Fantastic video as always, looking forward to the upcoming parts. But as someone with ADHD, a lot of the choices of words had me chuckling. ''Your attention is a superpower'', pfft....

[@almightytreegod]

the goof actually, check this out: www.additudemag.com/understanding-adhd-hyperfocus/

[@cromfayer]

Actually paused this when you said you need this needs my full attention. I was just doing other things will listening to my subscription feed playlist I wasn't ready for this. I'll be back in ten minutes but I thought I'd comment as although I haven't watched the video this feels relevant.

[@braincraft]

Ohh that's awesome. Thank you for your full attention!

[@muneeb-khan]

Honest to God expected a Brilliant sponsorship plug when you said "if I still have your attention"

[@aniketrodge8159]

I stopped using Social media apps long time ago as seeing at groups and comments makes me what I realized was it mostly leads to Dunning Kruger effect where people who have the least knowledge post stuff more because they have so much confidence in what they know. Another tip I would like to give is go to myactivity.google.com>activity control tab>disable all :) Enjoy clean youtube with videos only from subscribed list :)

[@sreeravi25]

Why has this wonderful video not blown up in views?

[@pranavlimaye]

This is eye-opening and a brilliant way to change people's minds. Thank you for this!

[@sharank]

I saw "Lucas - the spider " video at 10:32 and immediately had the urge to watch that video because I remember it being adorable. Man we really are suffering from short attention span.

[@emman100]

This is so well done. Thank you!

[@Ravie1]

Yay! I've been waiting for this since the teaser, this is a topic i've always been interested in as a wannabe instigator of social change, how are people malleable? and of course how to avoid it's abuse.

[@quahntasy]

Brilliant as always .Video duration twice as long. Oh wait here I am writing this comment when the video is still playing.

[@vadympro6066]

That's why I've got two extensions for Chrome to track time I'm spending on. And that's why I quit using social media (except KZbin, but educational videos mostly). Great I knew I waste my attention before it was too late.

[@tennesseedarby5319]

Interesting vid-Hey! Squirrel!

[@dashtothemax5353]

We need to augment and optimized. I really hope these companies start integrating tools to help with activity. For example right now I'm using the Oculus Rift however just commented on KZbin videos can be difficult.

[@joshuachandra6677]

Sparks so much thought I can't wait for future episodes

[@charlescarter9773]

For a person like me, with ADD, the attention wars can wreak havoc, but I'm also more accustomed to being self-conscious about my attention habits.

[@WilliamLeeSims]

I think attention and joy go hand-in-hand, especially in the people and things you love. In line with my new motto "Bring More Joy In 2019", I will spend more of my attention on those and will enjoy them with distractions removed.

[@EvilParagon4]

My attention is probably worth a lot less than most others. I am always doing two things at once. Unless I am _really_ focusing, I am always watching KZbin while doing something else. Right now I'm playing State of Decay trying to get the Breakdown achievements while watching. I also put stuff on a playlist so I don't have to keep swapping back and forwards between two things. My attention is hard to get, and is always divided.

[@horizonkage]

I wasn't paying attention to the KZbin video at the time but I fully expected you to ask "did you see the gorilla" Because I pay attention, I had a good idea of what you would put in the video.

[@Hollowdude15]

Great video BrainCraft and I like your videos so much :]

[@luisandre2750]

Vanessa it is one of most underestimated You Tubers ever. What a effort to make so rich and so interesting videos.

[@braincraft]

Thanks so much Luis!!

[@Dragonmastur24]

You always have my full attention, it isnt your beautiful brown eyes, gorgeous hair, nor your alluring accent, but the way your brain works and the way you present things through your videos!

[@Aleph_Null_Audio]

3:33 Words to live by: "You only experience what you attend to."

[@vivillanueva1566]

This is a wonderfully made video!!

[@Jer_Schmidt]

This and today's Coldfusion video...sobering, I guess. I'll be watching the next episodes though. I'm sure they're worthy of my attention.

[@aonozan]

Great work! Very interesting subject too.

[@ulysisxtr]

Vanessa, I truly love your videos and you have earned my attention :)

[@braincraft]

Thanks so much!

[@SkinyJim]

Sometimes I get so distracted I don't even bother to finish my

[@mimsydreams]

Ok... I was looking for a new toothbrush to buy while listening to this video in the background. I'm shook and feel called out!

[@braincraft]

LOL

[@berni1602]

I'm reading 'Thinking Fast and Slow' and I didn't think I could be that interested in economy. Well, my firsts thoughts on economy was that it involved only money; then I got to know about the maths behind it, but as I'm reading this book I see that psycology plays a huge role, and it's wonderful how you can understand the behaviour of the brain by using examples on how companies force you to think in some way to make money. This video sums up some things that I'm reading on this book, thanks!

[@anti_MATT_er]

Now I'm self-conscious of what I'm focusing on.

[@braincraft]

Same. It's often a lot to think about, but I've found that being more deliberate is also more rewarding.

[@sogerc1]

Hi Nessy! I watch every last one of your videos in my own time. The notification about your video says in my gmail inbox until I'm ready to watch it.

[@braincraft]

I'm glad to hear that. Thanks for watching nonetheless!

[@SuperSoundtracks]

Actually, my attention span is so bad that I dropped out several times when you were talking in the video, even if the subject here is very engaging. And I don't have fb, twitter, instagram or any ads up. My attention has been like this since I was a child, so I can't blame the internet and ads for it.

[@TheyCallMeNewb]

Whoa, remarkable. Top marks!

[@YousufUllah]

Great Stuff, a FB friend posted something similar about time spent on none productive tech. I started becoming more productive in the real world by deleting FB on my phone. Now I hardly browse it on my PC. Smart Phones are our biggest attention outlets and should be used to be more productive and to learn or enhance our skills?

[@EvilCronos13]

My phone is in my pocket and I'm at the gym counting reps while I "listen" to this video. Does that say something about my attention?

[@almightytreegod]

As someone with ADHD I’ve definitely recognized the potential for social media to be downright pathological, and you can see it pretty clearly in the interactions online as well. Facebook was a big problem so I deactivated it and there is a profound difference if you practice any kind of mindfulness techniques. You will actually notice the connection between a thought you have and the desire to broadcast that thought, or the tendency to be thinking about a post you read far more than you would probably think about a statement made by a friend IRL. It’s an incredibly strange phenomenon, and one that I would advise to others with similar issues to take seriously and try to manage in whatever way possible. Give your attention most of your attention. ;) For me, Twitter seems to be fine (primarily because I can see the traps more clearly, I guess? And it’s short and concise), KZbin can be a struggle (and I think it’s hilariously ironic you split this into parts... hahaha), and I’m 100% done with Facebook. Just try things out and see what works. If you can track the time on your phone, I can guarantee you it will be more time you save than you think.

[@almightytreegod]

I also understand the irony of such a long comment, and even more so, this reply. Hahaha... ok, times up for today. :P

[@Zappyguy111]

Mighty hard to stay watching as you're listing off the other things I could be doing :P. I'm excited to see how this series progresses. Drunken rant: I've found myself starting to think quite critically about what I'm spending my time on. Life is not like a multi-threaded computer or society that can split tasks to units in a collective group, we have one focus, (for lack of a better word) one conscience that needs our... Attention. There is a lot I want to do in life, but I've reluctantly come to accept I cannot do it all, and to even more reluctance, cannot solely focus on any one, lest I wish to go insane. This leads to planning, that leads to more time used, and all in all (for now), it brings to light the way things really are. Each great journey begins with one step (and many more) down a winding road. Sometimes you'll be moving forward, sometimes you'll be going backwards. It just comes down to you calculating what lines you up with what you want and what does not. I would click the bell icon if I had not already.

[@pXnTilde]

I don't mind apps competing for my time. All my hobbies do that. What I mind is apps competing to serve me ads. It wouldn't be a bad thing to ban the use of AI when serving ads to people. I really don't like personalization in general, because it creates a giant positive feedback loop, but at least that's perhaps somewhat more ethical.

[@agustinvenegas5238]

5:20 yep and I was also cooking, I feel proud of myself 😁 Pd:loved this series!

[@eeesmit]

Good series. That worth my attention.

[@braincraft]

Thanks Ricardo!

[@shirosenshiesq]

Currently sitting in on a new training group at work, and you can tell by generation who is capable of paying attention and who is not. The Late teens/mid 20s can't go five minutes without checking their phones, to the point where we've had to have formal conversations with them. The second they think they can get away with it, they've got phones out. The moment break starts, they waste most of it checking all their social media apps. Older ones, late 20s and up, might have a cursory glace through one or two during break, but they can wait for break to do it.

[@SoundFieldPBS]

Who's watching in 2020?

[@michelottens6083]

I feel I at least keep some control by making it a game to stare past ads. I also never follow the obvious robot-recommended links, and instead build subscription lists for youtube, news sites, academic blogs, off of thorough recommendations i find by reading and listening to the actual people. I assign each social media platform a function; facebook just for chat, linkedin just for keeping a CV, and keep my profiles sparse. This all is still barely working as I still feel this attention draining force online at all times. Even when the internet is entertainment for boring tasks and times, dividing attention is physically impossible without at least doubling energy drain on the brain. Also the internet is pretty cool.

[@joeyouyang]

The big tech companies use the "milk in the back of a grocery store", "bottomless bowl of soup", and "slot machine" techniques to get us addicted.

[@BuickGeek24]

What do you mean by "milk in the back of a grocery store" in this case?

[@Ender586]

It's easier for me to pay attention to what is being said in the video when there is the person speaking on the screen. Not sure if this answers the question "What is the price of your attention?", but it gives a hint, doesn't it?

[@chrispi314]

I tend to keep focused on what my attention is dragged into. Maybe because working in computing development and being aware of new technologies and algorithms helped me to "avoid" the system. When an ad is displayed on my screen, I just don't care and I've never acted because of a targeted ads. But I have to be honest, even when I know what I need, specially on Amazon, they know what I want and it is really more difficult to bypass this because they are really good at targeting you without an ad, but with something "physical" and with "special offers" spot on a product that you could need...

[@Jaybiiird]

OMG, do you realize that this leads to us having free things? ITS GOOD

[@chronikhiles]

Great news for freeloaders, not so much for those who care about our states of mind.

[@basharkano9658]

You got my attention 😁 great video .

[@anonym3967]

11:06 You totally missed the chance to say " with great power comes great responsibility"

[@joeyouyang]

There's an app called stay focused which can help to limit app usage per day

[@Gillsing]

In my own time, at my own pace? Always. The notification bell is not for me.

[@nobodyimportantt341]

I'm watching this series while procrastinating.

[@aayushgautam4919]

Give time and your attention to what really matters to you. ❤

[@gonderage]

Idk, I thought about some stuff, how I experienced biking, practicing martial arts or hanging with my friends with a lot of focus and I did not take my attention off of the situation at hand a lot. Then I thought about how I experienced sitting still, looking at the Slab of the 21st Century; I feel an urge to do or pay attention to something interesting, and I speculate that dudes could grab me by the balls by fulfilling that urge. I'm eager to learn more about this topic in the new miniseries of yours.

[@gamalkhaled7383]

Here take my attention i will be so happy :D

[@modestaspugasas6950]

What song starts from 6:00 ?

[@mridul407]

Ironically you also got our attention with the title.

[@fefefefezzz]

Not paying attention at work because I'm watching this

[@NobiMc]

That's why I run adblockers and anti tracking software

[@JeniJustJeni]

I'm paying attention, I'm paying attention, oh look, that law professor has an action figure of "The Thing" and now I'm distracted by writing a comment. But I paused the video, so it's okay.

[@rakutavedesign6978]

This is the original baby of Social Dilemma! I regret just found this gems in 2021 T_T

[@helenfloersh7696]

Brilliant as always!

[@blakethompson-dodd9874]

I choose to pay attention to this.

[@braincraft]

Much appreciated Blake :)

[@azifj]

Hey Braincraft... What is this mind thing? It is so complicated Can't control it Is it brain or mind which always messes with the decisions we take? What is it actually?

[@aspiringcloudexpert5127]

Vanessa, are you subscribed to Wait But Why?

[@pocok5000]

Don't demonize targeted ads too much. It can recommend actually useful stuff. That's how most of us found your channel.

[@yetinother]

I didn’t see the gorilla but I did see that building has eyeballs!

[@Bluudclaat]

I ignore a lot of things apparently. Never get distracted by the bs. Is there something wrong with me, am I a broken human ?

[@btdarterschannel112]

If I thumbs-uped this video, does that mean more people will watch it??? So that's good.. Or bad... Or..🤯💥💥💥💥

[@francismicker]

Awesome!