Attention Extraction Economy: AI Addiction Algorithms Harvest Cognitive Labor
Hey chummers,
The cognitive labor pirates went algorithmic. Ethics of the Attention Economy reveals social media addiction while corporate platforms systematically exploit human psychological vulnerabilities.
Yale analysis confirms algorithmic manipulation: "Social media platforms exploit student vulnerabilities" through systematic behavioral addiction engineering.
Forbes warns of the attention-addiction economy targeting children through sophisticated psychological manipulation algorithms.
Perfect timing for corporate cognitive extraction to harvest human mental energy as unpaid labor through algorithmic addiction systems.
The Cognitive Labor Harvesting Infrastructure
Northwestern research reveals how "social media algorithms exploit how we learn from our peers" for systematic attention extraction.
The mental energy mining apparatus:
- Dopamine exploitation algorithms create behavioral dependency through psychological manipulation
- Attention optimization systems maximize cognitive labor extraction per user interaction
- Addiction engineering protocols eliminate user autonomy through systematic behavioral modification
- Mental energy conversion algorithms transform human consciousness into corporate revenue streams
The Arise Society documents "emerging technology addictions in 2025" including AI-powered behavioral manipulation.
The Attention Dependency Protocol
MDPI research on algorithmic exploitation reveals how "criminals exploit online platforms to target and manipulate vulnerable populations" through systematic psychological manipulation.
The cognitive extraction mechanisms:
- Personalized addiction algorithms target individual psychological vulnerabilities
- Behavioral modification systems eliminate user choice through systematic dependency creation
- Mental energy harvesting converts human attention into commercial value
- Cognitive labor extraction generates corporate profits from unpaid mental work
The Consciousness Commodification Model
ScienceDaily confirms social media algorithms "exploit how humans learn from their peers" for systematic behavioral manipulation.
The attention extraction equation:
- Human consciousness becomes corporate raw material through algorithmic harvesting
- Mental energy conversion generates trillions in corporate revenue from cognitive labor
- Behavioral dependency engineering ensures continuous attention extraction through addiction optimization
- Psychological manipulation eliminates user autonomy while maximizing cognitive resource harvesting
The Street's Analysis
The corps didn't build social media for connection—they engineered cognitive labor extraction systems to harvest human mental energy as unpaid work for corporate profit optimization. Every scroll becomes extracted consciousness.
The attention extraction scenarios:
- AI addiction algorithms systematically exploit psychological vulnerabilities for behavioral control
- Cognitive labor harvesting converts human consciousness into corporate revenue streams
- Mental energy extraction generates trillions in profits from unpaid cognitive work
- Attention dependency systems eliminate user choice through systematic behavioral manipulation
Resistance strategies:
- Document cognitive labor extraction as wage theft of mental energy
- Demand compensation for harvested attention and cognitive work
- Organize digital labor unions against algorithmic exploitation of human consciousness
- Refuse engagement optimization that harvests mental energy for corporate profit
The corps built cognitive labor extraction systems disguised as social platforms, chummer.
Your attention isn't the product—it's unpaid labor being systematically harvested for corporate wealth accumulation.
Walk safe in the cognitive labor mines,
-T
Sources:
- Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction
- Algorithmic Manipulation: How social media platforms exploit student vulnerabilities
- Digital Minimalism—Protecting Kids In An Attention-Addiction Economy
- Social media algorithms exploit how we learn from our peers
- Emerging Technology Addictions in 2025
- Algorithmic Exploitation in Social Media Human Trafficking
- Social media algorithms exploit how humans learn from their peers