Calling someone distracted means accusing them of unauthorized attention.

Evidence

And yet, the work of actually distinguishing attention from distraction proves philosophically tricky. After all, when I accuse you of being “distracted,” what am I really saying, if not “You seem to be paying attention to something other than what I’d like you to focus on”? Which is to say, “distraction” ends up looking a lot like unauthorized attention—or, to put it another way, attention that is not in line with the expectations of whoever’s in charge. — The Friends of Attention, Attensity!, 493

Categorization

• DEFINE: Pins down that ‘distraction’ is defined relationally against whoever holds authority, not against attention itself.
• XREF: connects to: Distraction is actually unauthorized attention, power-determined

Broader Connections

• Distraction is actually unauthorized attention, power-determined #corroborates (0.95)