A $300 Billion Distraction
Daily Chase #78
Every year, about $300 billion is spent creating content for streaming platforms, social media, and entertainment. That's $300 billion dedicated to one purpose: keeping you on the couch.
This isn't conspiracy thinking — it's business reality.
The smartest minds in technology and entertainment wake up every day asking one question: How do we capture more attention?
They've gotten remarkably good at it.
The average person checks their phone 96 times per day. We spend over seven hours daily looking at screens. We binge entire seasons in weekends, then wonder where our time went.
Understanding this changes everything.
When you feel too tired to work on your goals, too drained to learn something new, too exhausted to connect meaningfully with others — recognize that you're not weak. You're up against a system designed to win.
The solution isn't to shame yourself for watching Netflix. It's to become intentional about the battle for your attention.
Start small: if you're going to watch something anyway, choose documentaries over mindless entertainment. Pick content that teaches you something aligned with your values.
Better yet, ask why you're exhausted in the first place. Poor sleep? Stressful job? Anxiety? Fix the root cause, and you'll have more energy for meaningful activities.
The companies spending billions on your attention are banking on you being unconscious about these choices. They win when you default to whatever algorithm feeds you next.
Consciousness is your competitive advantage.
When you realize what you're up against, you can choose to fight back — one intentional evening at a time.
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