Attention Economy and Brain Rot in the Digital Age: A Theoretical Examination in the Context of Public Relations

Abstract

With the proliferation of digitalization and content production, individual attention has transformed into a novel economic value unit. The attention economy, shaped by social media, algorithms, and short-form video content, plays a decisive role in individuals’ everyday lives. The brain rot phenomenon, designated by Oxford University Press as the Word of the Year for 2024, manifests as attentional distraction and cognitive deterioration resulting from the excessive consumption of low-quality digital content. The primary aim of this study is to analyze, within a theoretical framework, the relationship between the attention economy and brain rot in the context of public relations. The study adopts a narrative review approach. In line with the literature synthesis, it is argued that the commodification of user attention through digital platforms’ algorithmic design and content practices may generate a mechanism associated with increased screen time, attentional fragmentation, and cognitive impairment. Furthermore, the study proposes a model intended to operationalize the attention sustainability approach within the framework of ethical attention management. Accordingly, this study offers an original theoretical contribution by advancing a normative framework grounded in ethical attention management in digital public spheres from a public relations perspective, while proposing the concept of “attention sustainability” to the literature.

Keywords

• Attention Economy
• Brain Rot
• Social Media
• Public Relations
• Corporate Social Responsibility

Dijital Çağda Dikkat Ekonomisi ve Beyin Çürümesi: Halkla İlişkiler Bağlamında Teorik Bir İnceleme

Abstract

Dijitalleşmenin ve içerik üretiminin yaygınlaşmasıyla bireysel dikkat yeni bir ekonomik değer birimine dönüşmüştür. Sosyal medya, algoritmalar ve kısa video içerikleriyle şekillenen dikkat ekonomisi, bireylerin yaşamları üzerinde belirleyici rol oynamaktadır. Oxford University Press tarafından 2024 yılının kelimesi seçilen beyin çürümesi, düşük kaliteli dijital içeriğin aşırı tüketimi sonucunda dikkat dağınıklığı ve bilişsel gerileme biçiminde tezahür etmektedir. Bu çalışmanın temel amacı, dikkat ekonomisi ile beyin çürümesi arasındaki ilişkiyi halkla ilişkiler bağlamında kuramsal çerçevede analiz etmektir. Çalışmada, anlatı temelli tarama yaklaşımı benimsenmiştir. Literatür sentezi doğrultusunda, dijital platformların algoritmik tasarım ve içerik pratikleri üzerinden kullanıcı dikkatini metalaştırma süreçlerinin, ekran süresi artışı, dikkat parçalanması ve bilişsel bozulmalar çerçevesinde bir mekanizma üretebileceği ileri sürülmektedir. Çalışmada, etik dikkat yönetimi odağında dikkat sürdürülebilirliği yaklaşımını operasyonelleştirmeye yönelik bir model önerilmektedir. Bu doğrultuda çalışma, halkla ilişkiler disiplini açısından dijital kamusal alanlarda etik dikkat yönetimi temelinde normatif bir çerçeve sunmakta ve “dikkat sürdürülebilirliği” kavramını literatüre önererek özgün bir kuramsal katkı ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

• Dikkat Ekonomisi
• Beyin Çürümesi
• Sosyal Medya
• Halkla İlişkiler
• Kurumsal Sosyal Sorumluluk

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