You Are Being Robbed of Your Attention with D. Graham Burnett and Peter Schmidt

Factually! with Adam Conover

Headgum

Comedy

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 14 January 2026

⏱️ 91 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Would you rather that your attention were a resource freely directed toward your interests, or a measure of how many ads can be propelled into your eyeballs in a single session? Our attention has been commodified, and an entire industry is trying to wring out every possible instance of it. D. Graham Burnett, a professor of history at Princeton, and experiential organizer Peter Schmidt are two of the spokespeople of ATTENSITY!: A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement. This week, Adam sits with Graham and Peter to talk about attention, and how to take it back. Find the Friends of Attention's book at factuallypod.com/books

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is a headgum podcast.
0:05.4	New Year, same extra value meals at McDonald's.
0:09.4	Now get a savory sausage McMuffin with egg, plus hash browns, and a small coffee for just $5.
0:15.8	For limited time only, prices and participation may vary.
0:17.9	Prices may be higher in Hawaii, Alaska, and California, and for delivery.
0:20.4	I don't know the truth. I don't know the truth.
0:23.4	I don't know the way.
0:26.0	I don't know what to think.
0:28.8	I don't know what to say.
0:31.7	Yeah, but that's all right.
0:34.6	That's okay.
0:37.1	I don't know anything
0:38.9	Hey there, welcome to factually.
0:45.3	I'm Adam Kanover.
0:46.3	Thank you so much for listening to the show today.
0:48.3	And, you know, I really do mean that thank you
0:50.5	because your attention is a precious resource.
0:54.0	It's a valuable resource, in fact.
0:56.2	If someone like me can get your eyeballs and your ears and the brain connected to them to pay
1:01.0	attention to us, that means potential revenue. That is the central idea behind the entire
1:06.3	advertising and media business, getting your attention and turning it into money, hopefully by
1:12.3	giving you some valuable information or entertainment in return. And, you know, a lot of really
	...

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