Passage: The 'attention economy' operates on the premise that human focus is the ultimate scarce resource. Digital platforms are designed not to serve the user, but to capture and hold this resource through 'persuasive design'—a sophisticated array of psychological triggers, from variable reward schedules to infinite scrolls. This is often framed as a minor annoyance, yet it represents a fundamental threat to cognitive autonomy. When our environments are engineered to bypass our rational deliberation, our ability to choose our own goals is compromised. We are no longer the 'users' of technology; we are the 'used,' harvested for our engagement metrics. To reclaim our autonomy requires more than individual willpower; it requires a systemic rejection of the idea that our attention is a commodity to be mined by corporate interests.