Publishers Weekly
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Political commentator and media personality Pakman (The Echo Machine) explores the methods of contemporary attention merchants in this drawn out but convincing insider’s view. Relying on his own experience creating content, Pakman aims to make visible an “invisible... system of attention extraction” and demonstrate how it buries the truth in “noise.” From the emergence of the practice of A/B testing of video titles and thumbnails, to the advent of individualized feeds, to the rise of the algorithmic selection for content with heightened emotion, Pakman shows how creators and platforms have adapted to keep people watching and reacting. He sheds intriguing light on the tenuous reality of being a creator, where the illusion of freedom is undercut by the need to constantly evolve to match the algorithm. His points, especially about constantly tweaking one’s content to match trends, can feel repetitive, and his explanation of the value platforms get from constant attention (it creates predictions that help sell ads) feels like it only scratches the surface of the economic undercurrents in motion. Plus, his suggestion that readers be mindful of screen time doesn’t mesh with his calls for the left to lean into emotionally compelling content to catch up with the right, who were primed for online successes by decades of talk radio. Still, it’s a revealing look at how platforms work hard to trap users in an endless scroll. (Sept.)