Style as an Attention Technology

Abstract

What is the point of style? According to Richard Lanham in his book, The Economics of Attention: Style and Substance in the Age of Information, style is the means by which attention is attracted and allocated. Lanham's book describes the triumph of 'fluff' over 'stuff' (information over objects) and the importance of intellectual property. Wealth effects and shifts in the distribution costs can help explain a shift over time from stuff to fluff. A deep economics of attention will require digging into the technology of attention allocation, and into the conflicts of interest between those who seek to attract the attention of others and those who seek to allocate their own scarce attention effectively. An understanding the role of style in therefore essential for building an economics of attention.

Keywords: attention, style, technology

JEL Classification: M30, Z10, D89, K11