Media Management: The Attention Perspective

Abstract

With media being one of the first sectors of the information economy to be fully (i.e. with respect to its design, production, distribution, and consumption) digitized, an era of its management has come to an end. Existing boundaries between different media types have collapsed, as well as all limitations about time and space of media dissemination. However, this seemingly limitless expansion of media markets and media overabundance has come across a new barrier, which is that of human/consumers’attention needed for media consumption. Given shortening attention spans (as documented by empirical research), attention is increasingly perceived as the most valuable resource for the media sector and new strategies for attracting, retaining and sustaining attention must be devised and managed. Managing attention is now becoming the new core of media management.

Personality Traits and Family SES Moderate the Relationship between Media Multitasking and Reasoning Performance

“…Recent research ( Brasel and Gips 2017 ; Di Plinio et al 2019 ) highlights how device intrusion may alter cognitive processes, particularly perception and sense of agency. The presence of media devices and constant notifications can impact cognitive control, attention spans, and decision-making abilities ( Cardoso-Leite et al 2015 ; Jung and Kowalski 2022 ). These findings emphasize the broader cognitive and behavioral impacts of media multitasking in contemporary digital environments, enriching our understanding of how individuals navigate and prioritize tasks amidst pervasive digital distractions.…”

“…These findings emphasize the broader cognitive and behavioral impacts of media multitasking in contemporary digital environments, enriching our understanding of how individuals navigate and prioritize tasks amidst pervasive digital distractions. Adopting strategies like agenda setting, multitasking strategies, life/time management, and commonsense approaches to avoiding distractions and shortening attention spans becomes increasingly crucial in mitigating the detrimental effects, ultimately enhancing productivity and well-being ( Jung and Kowalski 2022 ).…”