How we attend to our attention: disconnective smartphone practices and attentional infrastructure within the attention economy

This research investigates the disconnective practices individuals employ within the attention economy, focusing on strategies to manage distractions caused by constant smartphone connectivity. The study delves into theoretical frameworks surrounding attention, situatedness, and attentional infrastructure. Employing interviews, diary entries, and user-led mobile phone walkthroughs, the research explores how individuals modify their attentional environments to disconnect from smartphones. Findings reveal diverse disconnective strategies, including physical separation, rule establishment and personalized device configurations, underscoring the interdependence between individuals and their attentional environments. Emphasizing the paradox of seeking autonomy while acknowledging dependence on external elements, the study reveals a broad atomization of strategies, finding that individual users are the one’s primarily responsible for dealing with the issues of the attention economy. The research proposes a reconceptualization of attention as a form of care, advocating for a shift from individualistic strategies to collective efforts. Offering insights into attention management within the attention economy, this research urges a re-evaluation of attentional practices, emphasizing social arrangements and shared endeavors to navigate contemporary attentional challenges.