The attention economy uses techniques refined through billions of interactions:

• Outrage algorithms — anger-provoking content reliably spreads further than calm information
• Autoplay and infinite scroll — removing stopping points eliminates the conscious choice to leave
• Personalized feeds — algorithms learn what keeps your brain engaged and show more of it
• Push notifications — each interruption recaptures attention that drifted elsewhere

Platforms spent billions learning to keep you watching. The asymmetry between their resources and your willpower is enormous.