physics
Thermal Equilibrium
In thermodynamics, systems exchange heat until they reach the same temperature—in the attention economy, you're the system being normalized.
$ cat /tag/attention-economy/
physics
Temperature
In thermodynamics, temperature measures the average kinetic energy of particles in motion—in surveillance capitalism, it measures how agitated your attention has become.
thermodynamics
Heat
In thermodynamics and surveillance capitalism alike, energy doesn't disappear—it just becomes less useful, more diffuse, and impossible to recover.
thermodynamics
Enthalpy
Every interaction costs energy you'll never get back—thermodynamics knows what the platforms won't tell you.
physics
Standing Wave
In the resonant chamber of your digital life, you're not moving forward—you're oscillating in place, trapped between nodes of content that never lets you rest.
physics
Damping
Every oscillation in your digital life is being carefully dampened, tuned to extract maximum value before the signal dies.
physics
Period
In physics, a period is the time it takes to complete one cycle—but in the attention economy, your periods are being measured, optimized, and sold.
physics
Amplitude
In physics, amplitude measures the height of a wave—in surveillance capitalism, it measures how much of yourself you're willing to broadcast.
physics
Frequency
In physics, frequency measures how often something happens—in surveillance capitalism, it measures how often you happen to someone else.
physics
Oscillation
You swing between states, trapped in periodic motion, while the platform measures every amplitude of your attention.