Attention by Design: Are we still paying attention or is technology doing it for us?
Conversation between Peter-Paul Verbeek and Julia Janssen
We often talk about technology as something that either helps or distracts us. We worry about screen time, addictive apps, endless scrolling and AI systems that increasingly compete for our attention. But what if the relationship goes deeper?
Technologies do not simply demand our attention. They help shape what we notice, what we ignore, what choices appear relevant and even how we understand ourselves. Recommendation algorithms decide what appears next. Platforms learn what keeps us engaged. Data profiles anticipate our interests and vulnerabilities. And AI increasingly filters, organises and interprets the world on our behalf. So perhaps the question is not whether technology is good or bad for our attention. The more fundamental question is: what kind of attention are our technologies creating – and what kind of humans are we becoming in relation to them?
Philosopher of technology Peter-Paul Verbeek and artist and researcher Julia Janssen explore the increasingly intimate relationship between humans, attention and technology. Can we regain control over our attention? Should we even think in terms of control? And if technologies inevitably shape human behaviour and perception, how can humanities and social sciences (re)design that relationship responsibly?