Distributed attention

Are we inevitably at the mercy of distraction due to the inundation of modern mass media? Do we need effective strategies to direct and focus our attention? Distraction is considered the opposite of attention or focus and is understood as an obstacle or evil. However, this book shows that distraction was already considered as distributed attention in the 1800s and advanced to become an important perceptual technique. Accordingly, the distribution of attention over several objects represents a self-technique of anticipatory action, the practice of which is of importance. In addition, distraction has a positive connotation as necessary recreation and diversion from tiring work. A media history of distraction thus closes a research gap within media theory and theory of modernity.