A Valuable Resource of the 21ST Century: Psychological Characteristics of Human Attention in the Digital Environment (Scientific Review)

Ominakhon Askarova

doi:10.57033/mijournals-2026-4-0333

Keywords

attention digital environment attention economy cognitive load multitasking digital hygiene. INTRODUCTION Today people encounter dozens of applications hundreds of messages and thousands of units of information every day. Access to information has never been so broad yet this abundance has a downside: the more information there is the scarcer the human attention that receives it becomes. As early as 1971 Herbert Simon pointed out that in an information-rich world the attention of the recipient becomes scarce (Simon 1971:37–72). For this reason contemporary researchers call attention the most valuable resource of the twenty-first century. Social networks video platforms mobile games and messaging applications compete for users’ attention and their revenue often depends on 191 www.mijournals.com E-ISSN:3070-8370

Abstract

This article analyses the psychological characteristics of human attention in the digital environment. It substantiates that, amid the sharp expansion of access to information and the widespread adoption of digital technologies, the significance, scope and content of attention are changing. It shows that the growth of information flow has turned attention into a limited and valuable resource. The influence of the digital environment on the stability, distribution and switching of attention is examined from a theoretical perspective. The article also considers psychological approaches aimed at preserving and developing attention.

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