60 second research brief: How the attention economy ruins learning

Published 5 months ago • 1 min read

I'm terrible at reading books these days. Not that I'm illiterate. I just struggle to sustain my attention and interest in long-form books.

Even watching a movie challenges me as I feel the compulsive itch to check my email or peruse social media.

Can you relate?

If so, it's not because we lack character. It's because the attention economy has shaped us this way. We live in a world where our attention translates to revenue for tech and media companies. And, they've learned how to hijack our psychology to capture and hold our attention.

The impact, though, isn't just boosting their profits. It's diminishing our attention stamina, our motivation, and even our happiness. In my research on how to facilitate positive emotions like curiosity and drive with students, I came across a lot of concerning studies on how the attention economy is making it harder to motivate and engage students. Here's a quick break down:

Cognitive Modes coming up...

Next week, I'm going to dive deeper into that second idea of Cognitive Modes, subtle shifts that Affective Teachers use to maintain student attention in a healthy way, without the frenetic shifting that stresses them out.

For now, I have two invitations to live more affectively this week:

Catch your compulsion: Identify moments throughout the week where you might be mindlessly consuming media (doomscrolling; watching t.v. or listening to podcast while multi-tasking).
Create a Tech-Free Phase: Carve out an intentional moment in time where you are completely devoid of screens. It might not be easy, but notice how challenging it is -- and what this suggests about your relationship with tech.

On the road this week!

I have a few events this week. If I'm in your area, hit me up so we can grab a coffee!

February 12 - Naperville, IL - Illinois Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired
February 13 - Lake Zurich, IL - Lake County ROE 34
February 17 - Port Huron, MI - St. Clair County RESA

I'm already halfway to filling my PD schedule for 2026. Below is the link to bring me to your school or organization!

BOOK CHASE

See you next week!

Your nerd next door,

Chase Mielke

PO Box 852, MH, CA 95038
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