Don’t Take the Bait: How the Attention Economy is Fueling Division (and What You Can Do About It)
A Storm in the Oval Office
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. By the end of the meeting, things had apparently gotten heated, and Zelensky stormed out. Within hours, headlines flooded the internet:
“How Zelensky’s Oval Office Meeting Turned into a Showdown With Trump”
“Zelenskyyy made a 'fool of himself' with Oval Office spat, CEO says”
“Inside the Explosive White House Encounter Between Trump and Zelensky”
“Tears and shock in Ukraine and Europe after heated Zelensky-Trump meeting ”
You can almost hear the dramatic music playing in the background.
If you saw these headlines, how did they make you feel? Curious? Angry? Vindicated? Annoyed? Whatever your reaction, that’s exactly the point.
These stories aren’t just about informing you. They’re about hooking you. The stronger your reaction, the more likely you are to click, read, share, and argue. That means more engagement, more ad revenue, and more division. Welcome to the attention economy.
Why Conflict and Outrage Win in the Attention Economy
We like to think we consume the news to stay informed, but most of the time, we’re being consumed by it.
The modern media landscape isn’t built to give you neutral, balanced information. It’s built to grab and hold your attention for as long as possible. And what holds attention best? Strong emotions.
Fear keeps you coming back for updates.
Outrage keeps you clicking, commenting, and arguing.
Tribalism keeps you locked in your side, reinforcing your beliefs.
And the more engaged you are, the more valuable you become to advertisers, politicians, and media companies.
This is why political moderation doesn’t go viral. A leader who says, “Let’s have a nuanced discussion” won’t dominate the headlines. But someone who storms out of a meeting? Or someone who calls their opponent a disgrace or disrespectful? That gets attention.
In an attention-driven world, the most extreme voices get the loudest microphones.
The Polarization Trap: How We Get Pulled Further Apart
Think about how this cycle plays out:
A dramatic news story breaks.
Media outlets frame it in a way that triggers an emotional reaction.
People engage based on their biases. One group is outraged at Trump, the other is outraged at Zelensky.
Social media amplifies the division. Algorithms show you more content that reinforces your stance.
The outrage solidifies. Each side feels even more convinced that they are right and the other side is delusional.
And just like that, the country is more divided than it was yesterday. Not because of the event itself—but because of how it was packaged and consumed.
It’s not just happening with this story. It’s happening every day, with every major news event.
The Inside-Out Perspective: Why You Don’t Have to Take the Bait
So, what’s the way out? How do we stay informed without getting emotionally tangled in the chaos?
The answer isn’t in changing the news—it’s in understanding how our experience of it is created.
Most people believe their emotions come from the news itself.
“This story makes me so angry!”
“I feel so discouraged by what’s happening in the world.”
“These people are ruining everything!”
But here’s the truth: The news isn’t making you feel anything. Your own thoughts about the news are.
When you read a headline, you don’t react to the event—you react to your thinking in the moment about that event. If that same headline appeared in another language you don’t understand, it wouldn’t trigger you at all. Not because the story changed, but because your thoughts about it never formed.
This is why two people can read the same news article and have completely different emotional reactions. It’s not the event—it’s the interpretation.
The more you see this, the less you get emotionally yanked around by every sensationalized headline. You can still be aware of what’s happening in the world, but without the stress, anger, or anxiety that usually comes with it.
Reclaiming Your Attention
So, what can you do instead of getting pulled into the outrage machine?
Pause before reacting. Next time you feel an emotional surge from a news story, take a breath and ask, “Is this emotion coming from the event—or from my thoughts about it?”
Be aware of emotional hooks. If a headline is designed to provoke, recognize it for what it is: a baited trap for your attention.
Engage with curiosity instead of outrage. Instead of instantly taking a side, ask, “Why is this story being framed this way? What purpose does this serve?”
Step outside the echo chamber. Seek out voices that challenge your views—not to agree, but to understand.
Remember that peace of mind doesn’t come from controlling external events. It comes from realizing they don’t control you.
The world will keep spinning, politicians will keep grandstanding, and the media will keep crafting dramatic narratives. But you don’t have to get swept up in it.
You don’t have to take the bait.
Final Thought
Imagine a world where people didn’t let their emotions be hijacked by media narratives. Where we could talk about politics and world events without immediately jumping into outrage.
That world starts with each of us seeing through the illusion that external events dictate our feelings.
That world starts with reclaiming our own attention.
That world starts with you.