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🔍 Craft & Structure: Informational: The Economics of Attention (Grade 11)

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Read closely. Think about how the author wrote it.

The Economics of Attention

In an information-rich world, the economist Herbert Simon observed in 1971, the scarce resource is not information but attention. A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.

Today, many digital businesses earn money not by selling products to users but by selling users’ attention to advertisers. The more time people spend on an app, the more ads they see and the more data the company collects to target those ads.

This business model creates incentives to design products that are hard to put down: infinite scrolling, autoplay, variable rewards similar to those in slot machines. Critics argue that these features exploit psychological vulnerabilities.

Defenders note that the model makes valuable services free for billions of people. Policymakers in several countries are debating rules on data collection and design practices, especially for children.

Vocabulary: incentive — determine its meaning from context: ________________

1. Analyze how the author structures the text. How does each section contribute to the whole?
2. Determine the author’s purpose and point of view. How does the author address other viewpoints?
3. Analyze the meaning and effect of a key word or phrase.
4. Evaluate whether the structure makes the ideas clear and convincing.
Answer key: structure: concept, application, critique, defense; purpose: to explain an economic idea and its debate; paradox: "wealth of information… poverty of attention" · incentive = something that motivates action
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Worksheets › Grade 11 English › Craft & Structure › Craft & Structure

Grade 11 (ages 16–17)Reading comprehensionFree printable PDF

About this grade 11 worksheet

Free Grade 11 English worksheet (Common Core RI.11-12.4): analyze text structure, word meaning and author’s purpose in "The Economics of Attention". Skill: Word choice, structure and point of view. Level: Grade 11 — also suits Year 12 (UK).

For teachers: skills & standards

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It is designed for Grade 11 (ages 16–17), but use it with any child who is ready.

What skills does it build?

Word choice, structure and point of view.

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More “Craft & Structure” printables (rl/ri.11-12.4–6: word choice, structure and point of view)

Craft & Structure: Literature: The Inheritance of Silence (Grade 11) · Craft & Structure: Literature: The Portrait (Grade 11) · Craft & Structure: Informational: Climate Feedback Loops (Grade 11) · Craft & Structure: Literature: Small Talk (Grade 11)

All 5 craft & structure sheets → · Grade 11 English: all 10 skills → · All Common Core grades

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