23 days ago
- The author reflects on being a youngest child who thrived on attention through creative and theatrical pursuits in youth.
- In adulthood, the desire for attention persists but is channeled more privately, with the author avoiding public antics yet still feeling a need for recognition.
- Attention is framed as a human need, akin to Maslow's belonging and esteem, with extremes of withdrawal or attention-seeking as potential vices.
- Online platforms like YouTube and Facebook exploit this need, with most user-generated content being uncompensated but motivated by views and likes.
- The internet amplifies mob behavior and virality, where anger-driven content is algorithmically promoted, leading to toxic dynamics like death threats.
- The author prefers writing without promoting to avoid audience pressure, valuing freedom over engagement, and compares attention to an addictive drug.
- A personal experience of finding a backlink to their blog sparked a hunger for more attention, though they resist actively seeking traffic from strangers.