Seeing and Being Seen

Core View

Attention is a fundamental human need, and the internet has made it easier than ever to acquire, but excessive acquisition can lead to psychological and social harm.
The author reflects on personal experiences with attention-seeking behaviors, from childhood theatre to adult self-consciousness, suggesting a deep-seated human desire for recognition.
Attention Economy is the driving force behind social media platforms, where 99.9% of content is uncompensated and generated by users seeking validation through likes, comments, and shares.
The article identifies a ‘vitamin A’ analogy for attention—essential in small doses but potentially harmful in excess, mirroring the risks of overexposure to online scrutiny and mob mentality.
The internet functions as a collective organism where mob behavior, such as rage-based content and viral outrage, can trigger mass psychological distress and disorientation in individuals.

Social platforms operate as conduits for user-generated content, with most content produced without compensation, driven by the need for visibility and validation.
The author critiques the inefficiency of current systems, where engagement is rewarded through algorithms that prioritize outrage and division over meaningful discourse.
The concept of ‘engagement bait’—content designed to provoke anger and division—is highlighted as a key mechanism for virality, often at the expense of constructive dialogue.
Algorithmic Bias and platform design incentivize extreme content, leading to a feedback loop where outrage drives more outrage, reducing the quality of public discourse.

The article warns that excessive attention can permanently alter an individual’s identity, akin to hypervitaminosis, and can lead to psychological trauma, especially in victims of online mobbing.
Death threats, though often anonymous and unverified, are presented as a symptom of extreme online hostility, with the author noting that such threats are frequently exaggerated or misreported.
The author identifies a rational game theory behind anonymous threats: zero cost to the threatener and a psychological benefit in shifting blame to a perceived ‘mob’ narrative.
Victims of online harassment often lack evidence (e.g., screenshots), suggesting a deliberate effort to avoid accountability and amplify the perception of threat.

The author advocates for writing in obscurity, arguing that the absence of an audience prevents the need to cater to popularity and allows for more authentic, unfiltered expression.
The experience of receiving a positive review from a stranger (e.g., a post reviewing the author’s essay) triggers a desire to engage with public platforms like Reddit, Hacker News, or Substack, despite prior resistance.
The author expresses concern about the ‘survivorship bias’ in online discourse—only those who succeed in gaining visibility are seen, while the majority of content is ignored or dismissed.
The author critiques the current culture of ‘clickbait’ and ‘ragebait’ as self-defeating, arguing that such content fails to produce meaningful outcomes and only serves to deepen societal polarization.

Attention is a powerful, often unregulated force in modern digital economies, with significant implications for mental health and platform design.
The majority of online content is produced without compensation, driven by the need for validation and visibility.
Mob mentality and algorithmic amplification of outrage create a toxic feedback loop that undermines quality of public discourse.
The risk of excessive attention—both personal and societal—is substantial, with potential for long-term psychological harm and identity erosion.
A culture of obscurity and deliberate non-participation may preserve intellectual integrity and reduce the pressure to conform to algorithmic expectations.

Topics: Business
Tags: attention-economy digital-mental-health social-media-ethics platform-design