May 7, 2026
THE DAILY McLUHAN DIALOGUES™ — McDialogue™
An Exploration of Media Ecology as an Anchor in a Sea of Change™ and Tactical Training in Counter-Propaganda Science
by Nelson S. Thall, Former Director/Chief Archivist, Marshall McLuhan Center On Global Communications, Ross, Ca.
The Attention Economy
A Student of Technology asks:
“Mr. Thall, why do people today feel mentally exhausted even when technology is supposed to make life easier?”
Nelson S. Thall replies:
Because the human nervous system was never designed to process continuous electronic stimulation. Every screen competes for attention, emotion and reaction. The citizen now lives inside a perpetual environment of interruption.
The problem is not information itself. The problem is overload. When attention becomes fragmented continuously, the individual loses the ability to reflect deeply, judge clearly or remain psychologically centered.
In the electric age, attention becomes the most valuable human resource. Whoever controls attention controls awareness itself.
So before you consume the world, ask yourself who is consuming your attention?
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All intellectual property contained herein was conceived, originated and authored exclusively by Nelson S. Thall. Artificial intelligence aka a pseudo-conscious machine (PCM) was not employed. We hired a stenographer. No intellectual contribution or creative authorship is attributed to the AI tool. All rights of authorship and ownership vest entirely and exclusively with Nelson S. Thall.
I can be reached at nelson@themediumisthemessage.com