Human Capacity in the Attention Economy

Our endless use of smartphones, unbridled internet access, and the ubiquity of applications on these platforms has affected the ways we think, feel, and behave. Setting aside issues of goodness or harmfulness of the internet and related technologies, chapters in this edited volume investigate the impact of technology through the lens of human capacity.



Each chapter considers a different aspect of the ways in which humans, with limited information processing capabilities, interact with an almost infinite informational environment. The authors examine what makes these technologies so addictive, their effect on emotional well-being, memory, and learning, and their impact on our ability to engage in important daily activities, like driving a car. Other contributors discuss how to replenish depleted cognitive reserves, and offer recommendations to help us chart a way forward in todays attention economy.