About the lecture

In this module, we discuss addiction to social media and the attention economy. In particular, we will focus on: (i) how addiction to being online is linked to the fear of missing out (FOMO) and the concept of variable rewards, similar to gambling machines; (ii) how the definition of addictive behaviour lacks consistency, and comparisons to substance abuse may not be accurate or useful; (iii) how social media's appeal could stem from compensatory motives, seeking escape from loneliness or unfulfilling lives; (iv) how the attention economy is the phenomenon of abundant information capturing our attention in technologically connected societies; (v) how users find value in social interaction, sharing, and intensified experiences on social media; (vi) how companies hosting social media platforms monetise attention by collecting data and enhancing advertising; (vii) how the attention economy's concerns include limits on attention and the time diverted from other forms of interaction; and (viii) how social media companies capture attention to package and sell it as data for targeted advertising, forming the basis of surveillance capitalism.

About the lecturer

Adrian Hillman is Associate Lecturer in the Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies at Goldsmith's, University of London. His present research interest covers the sociology of news, and the influence of polarisation and advocacy on news dissemination. His most recent work is engaged in exploring the intersection of social media and the dissemination of news directed at the political communication process.