Abstract:
Digital attention can be understood as the new indicator of concentration of individuals activities in their daily lives. Fewer platforms are concentrating people’s attention and, at the same time, using persuasive mechanisms to ensure that this attention is not only maintained, but accentuated. The study presented at the session is a research study using social media consumption data of young people in Spain. The study combines consumption monitoring techniques as well as focus groups in which young people are asked about their motivations for using social networks. The results indicate an increasing focus on mobile screens, as well as a concentration of this consumption on social media platforms. Furthermore, the qualitative explanations of the study participants demonstrate an awareness of the excessive use of the devices, while at the same time they are against both decreasing their consumption and stopping their use. The collective fear of exiting from social media use demonstrates the emotive power of the attention economy led by large digital platforms.