Can the 'Attention Liberation Movement' Foment a Rebellion Against Screens?

Source: Slashdot

Overview

The Associated Press examines the small‑but‑growing “rebellion” against attention‑hogging devices, citing a growing body of literature that urges people to move away from screens and pay attention to life.

Key Figures

• D. Graham Burnett – Historian of science at Princeton University and co‑author of Attensity! A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement (Amazon link). Burnett describes the “attention liberation movement” as an effort to throw off the yoke of time‑sucking apps, urging people to “rewild their attention” and restore the fullness of their relationship to the world.
• Chris Hayes – Host of MS NOW and author of the bestselling The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource (Amazon link). His work is part of the same literary push encouraging a shift away from screen dependence.

Global Reach

The movement includes several dozen “attention activism” groups across the United States and Canada, and has also emerged in Spain, Italy, Croatia, France, and England. Burnett expects the movement to continue spreading.

Examples of Attention Activism

• More than a dozen millennials gathered in a Brooklyn brownstone apartment, placed their phones in a metal colander, and spent two hours reading, drawing, and conversing.
• A few miles away, nearly 20 people in their 30s stared at their cellphones for a few minutes, then set them down, examined their bare palms, and observed the reactions of their neighbors.

Thanks to long‑time Slashdot reader destinyland for sharing the article.