The modern digital economy operates on the premise that human attention is a renewable, industrial resource—an infinite well from which data and engagement can be endlessly pumped. However, writing in *Le Monde*, a group of specialists argues that this commodification ignores a fundamental biological reality: the human brain is not designed for the perpetual, high-velocity stimulation required by contemporary social media platforms.
This "attention economy" relies on algorithmic feedback loops that prioritize engagement above cognitive health. By treating focus as a raw material to be harvested, platforms have created an environment of constant interruption. The specialists suggest that this is not merely a productivity issue but a public health concern, as the neurological systems governing reward and attention are being pushed beyond their evolutionary limits.
The vulnerability is most acute among minors, whose developing brains are still forming the executive functions necessary to resist these digital lures. The experts call for "reinforced protection" for younger users, arguing that current regulatory frameworks fail to account for the psychological toll of industrialized stimulation. Protecting the next generation, they suggest, may require a fundamental redesign of how we value the human mind in a digital space.
With reporting from Le Monde Sciences.
Source · Le Monde Sciences
