Attention economy: a new horizon of opportunities and challenges

Herbert A. Simon made a groundbreaking observation in his 1971 landmark article "Designing Organisations for an Information-Rich World: Information abundance means attention scarcity." His insight has become increasingly relevant in today's digital age.

Simon foresees that as the flow of information grows infinitely, human attention will emerge as the most precious resource. Currently, attention is more than a psychological aspect; it functions as an economic commodity-- limited, in high demand, and readily tradable. This idea forms the foundation of the attention economy.

The idea of the attention-based economy was later clarified and solidified in the works of Thomas H. Davenport, Michael Goldhaber, and John C. Beck. Specifically, Goldhaber predicted in his 1997 article "The Attention Economy: The Natural Economy of the Net" that the exchange of attention would drive the future economy. His analysis correctly explains the rise of today's social media platforms, including YouTube and Google Search, as well as the dominance of ad-supported content.

These digital platforms constantly compete for our attention. In this context, information producers urge users to spend time on their content, click, like, and share it. Such user responses are the main driving force of today's digital economy.

Advertising is the main source of income for modern digital platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. But advertisers don't just want to promote their products or services; they want to keep users' eyes, ears, and minds engaged for as long as possible. To achieve this, digital platforms employ techniques such as advanced algorithms, recommendation systems, autoplay videos, and personalised notifications.

These techniques activate the 'novelty' and 'reward' centres of the user's brain, keeping people engaged on the platform and motivating them to return repeatedly. This "infinity scrolling" method, which allows users to scroll to discover new content, has become a universal digital standard today.

These attention-grabbing designs have profound social and psychological effects. Various studies have shown that these techniques reduce people's concentration, increase anxiety, cause depression, and weaken their ability to think deeply and critically about politics and society.

This trend is also growing in Bangladesh, especially among urban youth. As the young generation spends hours on social media, their real-life interactions and learning processes are disrupted, which can hurt their mental health in the long run.

The global digital advertising market is currently valued at over $700 billion and is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2025. Google, Meta (which includes Facebook and Instagram), Amazon, Tencent, ByteDance (TikTok), and YouTube are the key players in this expansive market. These platforms leverage their advanced technology and algorithms to transform users' attention into a product sold to advertisers.

People's daily screen time is a key indicator in this assessment. In the United States, the average adult spends over 11 hours a day on a screen. This increase is also quickly growing in South Asia, especially in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. In Bangladesh, urban youth spend about 7-9 hours daily on a smartphone or laptop, mostly watching videos on Facebook, YouTube, or TikTok.

These statistics clearly show that human attention has become a valuable asset and a core source of revenue for the world's biggest technology companies. These companies are investing billions to capture and retain users' attention, as it is the key driver of their revenue.

The growth of digital connectivity and the rapid expansion of mobile internet in Bangladesh have added a new dimension to the attention-based economy. As of early 2025, the country had over 77 million internet users and more than 60 million social media users. Of these, Facebook alone had over 60 million users, and YouTube had about 44.6 million active users. The advertising industry in Bangladesh has undergone a significant transformation to capture the attention of this large audience.

Where once most advertising money was spent on television, newspapers, and billboards, now about one-third of it goes to digital platforms. The digital advertising market in Bangladesh was worth approximately $1.3 billion in 2025 and is expected to surpass $1.78 billion by 2027. Various sectors within digital advertising, such as search ads, social media marketing, influencer marketing, video ads, and mobile ads, are experiencing rapid growth.

The social media advertising sector alone is projected to spend $85 million in 2025. Additionally, the influencer marketing market is valued at around $35 million. These figures indicate that Bangladesh's attention-based economy is a robust and dynamic sector, presenting new opportunities for the country's economic growth. This growth is not just financially important but also crucial for creating new jobs and boosting digital skills.

Bangladesh's youth are central to the economy. Over 60 million young people aged 15 to 35 use smartphones, create content, watch videos, share memes, go live on Facebook, or run YouTube channels. Their influence and presence on social media not only enable self-expression but also generate an alternative economic space.

Influencers' sources of income include sponsored content, affiliate marketing, earnings from video views, live streaming gifts, and promoting digital products. These income streams serve as an alternative route to employment for young people, especially in areas where the unemployment rate stays around 11.3 percent. 

In this attention-driven sector, youth are not only making money but also gaining technology-based skills that prepare them for future careers. They are developing abilities such as video editing, graphic design, digital marketing, and content creation, which make them competitive in both local and international markets.

Although the attention-based economy has created new opportunities in Bangladesh, it also has some negative effects. Excessive screen time, addiction to clickbait content, confusion caused by information overload, violations of personal privacy, lack of focus, and mental exhaustion are impacting a large portion of today's youth.

Experts say that young people are unknowingly becoming addicted to digital platforms because these platforms profit from capturing attention and use psychological techniques to keep users engaged longer. As a result, users are losing their normal thinking, concentration, and analytical skills.

This addiction is impairing students' education and decreasing their productivity at work. Misinformation and rumors are spreading quickly in society, leading to social unrest. Privacy violations are also increasing, as user data is being sold to advertisers, which raises cybersecurity risks.

Policy, education, and public awareness are crucial to making the attention economy sustainable and equitable. As part of the Bangladesh government's 'Smart Bangladesh' initiative, digital education is being emphasized, which integrates technology with digital health, fact-checking, and awareness.

Media literacy programs in schools and colleges can teach students how to manage notifications, verify unbiased information, and recognise content that can harm their mental health. Similarly, social media platforms need to be held accountable; there should be transparency about how their algorithms work and where user data is stored. The government should enact strict data protection laws and ensure user privacy.

If Bangladeshi tech entrepreneurs, media, NGOs, educational institutions, and civil society collaborate, they can advance the attention economy in a fair, integrated, and sustainable way. This effort is not only for economic growth but also for developing talent, critical thinking, and human values. The involvement of the government, educational institutions, and all levels of society is crucial in creating a healthy digital environment. Users must be educated about responsible digital behavior, and platforms should be held accountable for their actions.

The face of the global economy is undergoing rapid change. Now, it is not just about determining the price of products or services-people's attention, time, and awareness are also becoming commodities that can be sold individually. The future of digital platforms depends on who can hold this attention.

Bangladesh has already entered this rapidly evolving attention economy. The digital advertising industry, young people's creativity, the widespread use of social media, and the government's technology-focused policies all contribute to positioning Bangladesh at the edge of new economic opportunities. However, this journey is not without challenges. While there is great potential on one side, there are also mental health risks and concerns about information overload on the other.

Now is the time to view attention not just as a means to make money, but as a national resource. It must be protected and used responsibly, and its fair use should be ensured at all levels of society. Only then can Bangladesh go beyond participating in the digital attention economy and become a leading nation. If this attention economy is managed effectively, Bangladesh will benefit economically and develop a healthy, informed digital society.

Dr Matiur Rahman is a researcher and development professional.

matiurrahman588@gmail.com