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I would like to begin this presentation with my research question.

How can we reimagine and rehumanize the model that the Attention Economy is built off, in order to implement it into the physical sphere/public space, so that we have the opportunity to engage with our spaces and connect with others outside of the curated filter bubbles we are drawn into in the online sphere?

This research question stems from this large social problem I see rapidly unveiling. The problem is that our attention and engagement on popular social media platforms such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Tik-Tok and Instagram is controlled by the built in advertising industry within social media. The more we engage and the more attention we pay to these sites, the more profitable they become. Our attention is the newest form currency that each of these sites are fighting for.

The way in which they fight for our attention is by using a variety of aggressive tools of persuasion on us to keep us clicking, scrolling and watching.

One of the main ways in which they do this is showing us posts that are tailored to us. This is made possible by a massively powerful Artificial Intelligence, that has a clear image of a person's wants, needs, beliefs, and desires. This creates homophily where people we are placed into filter bubbles where we can no longer see ourselves and each other beyond who the AI has curated us to be.

These filter bubbles mean we each live in a different version of reality than the person sitting next to us.

As these sites begin to be more integrated into more areas of our life, for example online school, calendar, maps and basic communication, it gets harder to escape these bubbles we have been placed into.

And on top of this, the more we engage, the more attention we give to these sites the better of an idea this AI has of who we are and our bubbles become smaller.

As these sites fight for our attention some of the other tools of persuasion they use have such a strong physiological hold on us, that even when you are made aware of these vicious tactics they still work on us. I have found myself unable to resist the urge to click the notification, as the little light on my phone flashes even at times where I would want nothing less than give my full attention to a friend I hadn't seen in a long time. We are under the impression that we are in control, but I believe there is an asymmetrical power balance between us and the machine that runs off our attention.

Since this online sphere is so tailored to us, we are put under the impression that our online sphere is a ‘safe space’. Hence, we engage in this online world as a reflex when we are vulnerable out in public space.

What I want to do with this project is to find a way to get people's attention back into the real world.

To try to draw them out of the hands of the Attention Economy and back into the wonderful public space that the city provides.

As these social media sites are so integrated in our lives, I don't believe that opting out of the Attention Economy is a viable option. Instead I would like to find a way to off-set some of the effects of this new economy.

Through my own research, both by myself and by observing others I found that stopping points in public space are the places that people are most vulnerable to this automatic tic of taking out your phone and fully engaging with the Attention Economy.

These included places like traffic lights, public benches and ques for the supermarket etcetera.

So, because of this I would like to focus on how to get people's attention back to their surroundings in these ‘stopping points’ in public space.

I found benches to be the most interesting, as benches are usually located in areas of public space where the environment around it is quite nice.

When I walked around the city these spots consistently were filled with people sitting on their phone when they were alone.

I have begun brainstorming ways in which I could get people's attention away from their phones and the Attention Economy and back into their environment.

I would like to make a type of installation at a variety of benches throughout the city in an attempt to get people out of their screens and back into engaging with the physical world around them.

I have thought about using sound, smell, light and / or textures to do so.

Although I still need to figure out how these elements can work together.

Hopefully my project can be made as a public installation.

But I think we can as a class make our projects public as a collection by

- making an exhibition of or work via posters throughout the city
- creating a website
- printing a magazine or booklet.