A few days ago, I read an article on the attention economy and its hidden logic. It was on Simply Psych, a website of musings on psychology. J.C. Pass, the author, pointed out that when creators strive to make it and become famous, that’s actually the most profitable situation for the companies and platforms which showcase their content.

When people are trying to become famous at all costs, they often upload tons of content and spend more time on the platform. As J.C. Pass put it, the effort is more awarded than the actual success.

The platforms that host all of this activity do not depend on a large supply of successful celebrities. They depend on the endless optimism and ambition of people trying to become them. The system is designed so that the attempt is more valuable than the achievement. - J.C. Pass

Reading that struck me, because I've witnessed how creators feel pressure to constantly upload and make more content, hoping that one of their posts takes off and becomes a success. The platforms themselves encourage people to put all their time and energy into them, because that creates a free stream of content these companies can monetize.

However, once a creator has more power and their own success, the tables turn. They have more leverage because they possess an established fan base, and they can move to another platform if one of them starts mistreating them.

For most people, though, that day of fame and fortune won't easily come. In fact, considering how the odds are often stacked against us, maybe our time would be better spent elsewhere. Nonetheless, these companies make sure to keep the cycle going by using intermittent reinforcement. On some days, you may have a lot of success and get many reactions and comments, while on other days, it can be really quiet or someone dislikes what you made. The unpredictability of the response can keep you hooked.

What's the main takeaway from all of this? J.C. Pass wrote that once we understand how the platforms and the attention economy works, we can be a lot more thoughtful in how we share our creations. We can get our validation from internal worth instead of external reactions. And we can learn how to use platforms as tools instead of letting them control us.

Seeing It In My Experience

I've definitely seen some of the challenges this article describes. Many platforms want you to create on their sites, but the audience is often hard to find. Despite the lack of meaningful response or engagement, we feel pressured to create continual content, not realizing this is more beneficial for the platform than for us. The small creators often struggle to get by, while the famous ones get more attention and financial power.

What I realized for myself is that I have to be mindful in how I use these tools. Even though they can offer a stage to share what you're doing, many of them don't have incentives that are aligned with what's best for the artists and creators. I need to pay close attention to where my energy is going. Does it make sense to constantly upload? What are other ways I could use the time and effort?

Sometimes other ways I can share my work more effectively are going to in-person events, getting involved in online art communities, and using alternative platforms that are more respectful of my attention and energy. These steps feel much more productive than trying to outcompete everyone in the algorithmic sea.

Speaking of competition, this is often another issue that comes up. When you use platforms that make most of their money from your attention, you may subconsciously look at other artists and creators as competition. Everyone is trying to get the most likes or views. That's why it's often better to spend time in more open and collaborative spaces, where you can actually get to know other artists and see they're not always your competition. You can even learn from them and let them inspire you instead.

Anyway, this was a great article which sort of crystallized how I was already feeling about the creator world and the difficulties I've seen in it. It also helped me see that it isn't my own fault that I'm not "succeeding" in it right now. In fact, maybe that's a good thing: it's a sign that I'm not putting all my worth and energy into something I can't ultimately control.

What I've found most valuable is directly sharing my work with people who can experience it. There's something important in having that straightforward connection between yourself and your audience. I love those moments, because I'm not thinking about metrics or trying to figure out how to succeed on a platform. It's direct connection, something that bypasses the algorithmic gatekeepers.

Reference: Pass, J. C. (2025, November 21). The Hidden Logic of the Attention Economy: Why Platforms Profit When You Try to Become Famous, Not When You Succeed. Simply Put Psych. https://simplyputpsych.co.uk/monday-musings-1/the-hidden-logic-of-the-attention-economy-why-platforms-profit-when-you-try-to-become-famous-not-when-you-succeed