The Attention Wars: How We Misunderstand Attention and What's Actually Affecting Our Ability to Focus

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2020-08-24

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Nonfiction

Program

MFA in Creative Nonfiction

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This work is restricted for 10 years from the date listed above. No access will be permitted until the embargo has expired. Once the embargo expires the work is available only on Goucher College's campus.
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Abstract

The Attention Wars is a story about how we misunderstand attention and what's actually affecting our ability to focus. Throughout the book, I debunk the belief that our attention is dwindling and show examples from gaming and television that shows how we have an amazing capacity to focus for long periods of time. I then show that the landscape for the expectations of our attention has shifted from a finite expectation to an infinite perspective; whereby, our attention is expected to always be turned on and the products we interact with support this notion of infinite attentional dedication.