Students from the courses connected to the Attention Literacy Initiative at JMU have created attention guides to help other students navigate the high-distraction learning environments they are likely to encounter. For each example, you’ll see a brief bio about the student and a summary of insights from their project. The first group of projects has a general student audience in mind, followed by projects for more specific populations. Browse through and see what you connect with!
Lilly:
“I took the Attention, Distraction, and Recovery of Human Intention course in spring of 2025 (my last semester at JMU). Now, I am a graduate student in East Carolina University’s Occupational Therapy program. This course helped me become aware of how my attention was being compromised in a variety of situations, when I previously did not think I had any issues. I learned how to better manage my attention, specifically relating to school, in a way that makes me a more effective student!”
Lilly’s project examined ways to manage her attention in the domains of work, family, school, and shopping. One of her interventions was to explore the use of non-tech options when technology is not needed in a given situation, acknowledging that technology use is often more habitual than necessary. She also explored creating more distraction-free environments that prioritize the direct, in-person human interaction over mediated communication. Lastly, she advocated using schedules to keep track of goals over time and mindfulness practices for remaining intentional in a particular situation.
Sophia:
“The Attention Economy has my major in the name, "Economics", which was what originally drew me to this course. Throughout the Fall 2024 semester, I thought of many scary and fascinating questions, mostly about how the commodification of our brains has become a significant driver of our day-to-day interactions and purchases. I deleted Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X (Tiktok still has me in its clutches, unfortunately), but paired with a short time working abroad in Ireland, I'm still learning who "Sophia" is and not who social media wants me to be. Nothing worthwhile is easy, but this class afforded a foundation for my journey toward becoming authentically human again."
Sophia’s project emphasized the need for authenticity, to experience oneself outside of the influence of algorithms and other self-shaping aspects of persuasive technologies. She also includes recommendations to engage with people during downtime instead of interacting with extractive technologies and algorithms. In each scenario of her project, she considered whether her personal values were upheld or compromised by the attention economy.
The following projects offer advice and insight to help specific student audiences manage their attention more effectively.
Jennie:
“I graduated from James Madison University, in May of 2025, with B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies with Distinction. Following my graduation, I am attending East Carolina University for Speech-Language Pathology. I took this course to learn more about attention management, and how to better manage my time. While taking this course, I was applying to graduate school, a challenging and intimidating task, in addition to school work, managing social relationships, and planning to move states. This course helped me to learn more about how I was spending my time, and how to better manage productivity. I hope this guide helps you to better understand attention, maximize efficiency, and carve out time for you!”
In Jennie’s project, we get the viewpoint of a senior offering advice to help those new to college or struggling to manage attention. She points out the need to recognize high-distraction environments and take measures to alleviate those distractions when the work calls for sustained attention. In addition, acknowledging human cognitive limitations, she advocates for intentional pauses and reflection time to process learning material, rather than rushing from one task to the next. Lastly, she explains that mindfulness meditation can be used to strengthen your ability to control your attention.
Elizabeth:
“I took the course on recovering human intentions in the spring of 2024 to develop skills for navigating distractions. As a student with ADHD, this project equipped me with tools to manage my attention more effectively. In my personal and professional life, it is extremely important that I stay on task and focused, and I'm able to do so after figuring out what works best for my individual needs. I'll continue to apply what I've learned this fall as I pursue my master's in Nonprofit Studies at the University of Richmond.”
Like many students, Elizabeth has had to manage ADHD as a student. Her guide was designed to help students with similar experiences. She advises students to approach high-distraction environments, whether they are learning environments or even shopping environments, with an agenda created in advance that prioritizes personal goals, self-imposed policies for limiting technology, and an honest appraisal of individual limitations.
