Attention itself constitutes productive labor that generates value
Evidence
Independently of the way in which a painting, a television programme or a video game may affect my senses, my memory and my behaviour, I am ‘working’ when I look at it (to look is to labour) to the extent that my regard contributes to the value it draws from its visibility. Knowing that lots of people have seen a film makes me want to go and see it: when I bestow my attention, I work de facto to promote it to others (even if I can’t stand the film). — Yves Citton, The Ecology of Attention, 148
Categorization
- DEFINE: Core definition of the ‘look-as-labour’ concept central to attentional capitalism.
- ADDENDUM: Extends the attention-as-labor mechanism that could animate a follow-up on platform economies.
- XREF: connects to: Both creating and receiving art demand skilled labor on attention — Yves Citton, The Ecology of Attention, 435; Attention is becoming the hegemonic resource restructuring material production — Yves Citton, The Ecology of Attention, 47; Looking at an object constitutes labor that increases its value — Yves Citton, The Ecology of Attention, 145 (+7 more)
Broader Connections
- Measuring attention as data enables treating it as a monetizable resource
#expands(0.82) - Attention consists in labor that augments our ability to notice the neglected
#qualifies(0.80) — Yves Citton, The Ecology of Attention, 269 - Labour-power is the sole commodity whose use-value is the creation of value itself
#qualifies(0.80) — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 1356 - Attention functions as a currency that compounds like interest.
#corroborates(0.75) — Michael H. Goldhaber, The Attention Economy and the Net, 10 - Attention can be quantitatively measured and thereby bought and sold.
#expands(0.75) — The Friends of Attention, Attensity!, 121 - Attention operates as a form of capital that accrues interest and concentrates inequality.
#expands(0.75) — Michael H. Goldhaber, The Attention Economy and the Net, 16