The world won’t stop catcalling my eyeballs.

It’s Hard to Pay Attention. Here’s what I do about it.

Image by author

This morning, my computer screen gave me a snapshot of the world I live in. And of the world in my mind. (Are they different?)

The original task was to find a great quote from Anne Lamott to share with my readers. I googled it. Then I paused for just long enough to realize what was in front of me: the endless, insidious presence of corporations vying for my attention.

Take a look at the image above. In just one view, there are no fewer than five ads (two of them animated), all whistling, catcalling versions of, “Hey! Look over here. Baby I got what you want.” Gender doesn’t seem to matter. It’s still “catcalling” because:
1) The ads are unwanted.
2) They don’t care. They still whistle at you.
3) And they assume it’s a compliment. (Look at all the money you’ll be saving! Get over yourself and let me make you happy.)

As I relaxed into this exploration, I noticed the url. The google results came to me via a website I never heard of: kidadl.com — something about “best educational resources for fun and learning throughout the year.” (See the blue question mark and its target.) There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, it just…