The Post–Damage-Accumulation Phase of the Attention Economy

Thesis:

This paper argues that the contemporary attention economy has entered a late-stage damage-accumulation phase in which platform-driven amplification, algorithmic incentives, and AI-enabled persuasion no longer merely distort public discourse but systematically erode democratic governability by reordering legitimacy, inducing institutional paralysis, and creating de facto platform sovereignty. Once these harms cross elite-recognized thresholds—through electoral legitimacy crises, security failures, or systemic instability—the system predictably undergoes a rapid regulatory “flip,” transforming attention platforms from quasi-sovereign actors into regulated civic infrastructure. The post–damage-accumulation phase is therefore defined not by improved discourse or individual well-being alone, but by a structural reassertion of state authority over attention, data, and amplification systems necessary to restore governability.

Status:

This thesis is published as a research marker. The full paper is currently in development.