New Paper Highlights Urgent Need for “Attention Sanctuaries”

Concern about increasing screen time on mental health calls for creating “digital-free” spaces to mitigate rising levels of anxiety, depression and social isolation.

New York, NY | March 20, 2025 – With more school districts now implementing no cell-phone policies in their classrooms to refocus students’ attention on their schoolwork, a new study by leading scholars Professor D. Graham Burnett of Princeton University and Eve Mitchell of the Strother School of Radical Attention calls for the creation of “attention sanctuaries”. 

Their article, “Attention Sanctuaries: Social Practice Guidelines and Emergent Strategies in Attention Activism,” published today in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, explores the profound impact of networked screen media on mental health, particularly among youth. It proposes innovative, community-driven solutions to reclaim our collective focus from the growing crisis of digital distraction and the commodification of human attention.

The authors broadly define an attention sanctuary as a wide range of already existing spaces and places such as libraries, churches, museums and school classrooms. Nationally, 77% of U.S. schools say they prohibit cellphones at school for non-academic use, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Drawing on the latest research and grassroots “Attention Activism”, the authors argue that the pervasive use of digital devices has led to unprecedented erosion of social and civil life, contributing to rising levels of anxiety, depression, and social isolation.

Key Findings and Recommendations:

• The Attention Crisis: The article highlights the urgent need to address the harmful effects of the “attention economy,” where human attention is increasingly commodified by tech platforms through addictive design and data extraction, or “Human Fracking.”

• Attention Activism: The authors introduce the concept of “attention activism,” a growing movement that seeks to resist the exploitative practices of the digital economy through education, organizing, and the creation of sanctuary spaces.

• Attention Sanctuaries: The paper provides a detailed framework for establishing “attention sanctuaries”—spaces where communities can collectively cultivate and protect their attention. These sanctuaries, which can be implemented in schools, workplaces, and homes, are designed to foster meaningful human connection and reflection, free from the distractions of digital devices.

The authors emphasize that addressing the attention crisis requires a multi-pronged approach, combining grassroots activism, policy interventions, and community-driven initiatives. They argue that attention sanctuaries offer a practical and scalable solution to mitigate the negative effects of digital overload, promoting mental well-being and social cohesion.

“This is not just about limiting screen time,” says Burnett. “It’s about a participatory movement to create spaces where we can reconnect with ourselves and each other, free from the constant pull of digital distractions. Attention sanctuaries are a way to reclaim our humanity in an increasingly fragmented world.”

Eve Mitchell adds, “Attention activism is about more than individual self-control—it’s about collective action. By working together to create these sanctuaries, we can build a culture that values and protects our attention as an essential aspect of our individual and shared lives.”

The authors call for increased collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and community leaders to develop strategies that address the root causes of the attention crisis.

Abstract

While scientific consensus on the nature and extent of the harms attributable to increased use of networked screen media remains elusive, widespread expressions of acute concern among first-responders to the commodified-attention crisis (teachers, therapists, caregivers) should not be overlooked. This paper reviews a series of emergent strategies of collective attention activism, rooted in social practices of community action, deliberation, and consensus-building, and aimed at the creation of novel sanctuaries for the cultivation of new shared norms and habits regarding digital devices. Evidence suggests that such attention sanctuaries (and the formalization of the conventions for convening such spaces) will play an increasingly important role in addressing/mitigating the public health-and-welfare dimensions of societal-scale digital platforms. A copy of the full paper may be downloaded here.

About Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences is a 200+ year-old multidisciplinary journal publishing research in all areas of science. Each issue advances our understanding of the natural, social, and physical world by presenting novel and thought-provoking original research, reviews, and expert opinions.  We encourage cross disciplinary submissions, with particular interest in neuroscience, organismal biology, material sciences, cell and molecular biology, psychology, medicine, quantum science, renewable energy, and climate science. Please visit us online at www.nyas.org.

About the Authors

D. Graham Burnett is a professor at Princeton University and a leading voice in the study of attention and its role in contemporary society. Eve Mitchell is a psychotherapist and a facilitator at the Strother School of Radical Attention, an innovative institution dedicated to exploring the science, history, and practice of attention.

Contacts

Peter Schmidt – peter@sustainedattention.net
Donica Bettanin – donica@sustainedattention.net