The Attention Economy: From Value to Viral

How we shifted from rewarding people who make things to those who capture attention — and what we can do to tilt it back.

Economic Phases

Industrial Economy 1700s–1950s Value driver: Making things
70%
Service Economy 1950s–1990s Value driver: Doing things
55%
Information Economy 1990s–2008 Value driver: Knowing things
45%
Attention Economy 2008–Now Value driver: Capturing attention
35%
Synthetic Economy* 2020s → Value driver: Generating infinite content (AI)
25%

* Forward-looking shorthand for AI-led content saturation.

Wages vs Essentials

Illustrative index (1997 = 100). Essentials (food, housing, energy) have risen faster than median wages, especially in the attention era.

Shrinkflation Calculator

You entered: £4.50
You entered: 500 ml/g
You entered: £6.55
You entered: 460 ml/g
You entered: 3.4 years
You entered: 500 ml/g

Tip: Use price per ml/g to compare fairly across different pack sizes.

How to Push Back

  • Push for transparency: Demand clear unit pricing (incl. shrinkflation) and call out predatory pricing.
  • Defund hype, fund value: Spend with producers who make real goods/services; avoid rewarding low-effort clickbait.
  • Build local resilience: Join buying co-ops, repair circles, tool libraries, and community energy projects.
  • Regulate platforms: Back policies that curb dark-pattern engagement and tax extreme ad windfalls.