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.
$ cat /tag/attention-economy/
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.
physics
Simple Harmonic Motion
You oscillate between outrage and distraction with the predictable rhythm of a pendulum, and the algorithm knows exactly when you'll swing back.
physics
Efficiency
In physics, efficiency measures how much energy you waste—in digital capitalism, it measures how much of you gets consumed.
physics
Power
In physics, power is the rate of energy transfer—in surveillance capitalism, it's the rate at which your attention converts to profit.
physics
Conservation of Energy
In a closed system, energy cannot be created or destroyed—only transformed from one form to another, and you are the closed system.
physics
Kinetic Energy
Every swipe carries momentum, every scroll accumulates velocity—and someone else is measuring the energy you're spending.
physics
Energy
Every tap, every scroll, every moment of attention—you're converting your life's energy into data that powers someone else's empire.