Attention Scarcity is the industrial-age assumption that human attention is a limited resource that must be captured through interruption—an assumption increasingly obsolete in the era of information abundance.
The Old Reality
In the industrial era:
- Limited communication channels
- Scarcity of information
- Attention relatively available
- Interruption necessary for awareness
The New Reality
In the digital era:
- Unlimited communication channels
- Abundance of information
- Attention fiercely protected
- Discovery mechanisms abundant
The Mismatch
Applying scarcity thinking to abundance creates:
- Rising acquisition costs
- Decreasing effectiveness
- Growing resistance
- Mounting complexity
- Competitive waste
The Shift
From Attention Scarcity to Information Abundance thinking:
- Stop fighting for attention
- Start earning attention
- Enable natural discovery
- Create genuine value
- Build trust through generosity
The opportunity isn’t capturing scarce attention—it’s being worth finding in abundant information.