The Attention Economy is Eating Us Alive – Here's How to Fight Back
Welcome to another edition of This Week in Stratechery, your weekly dose of insights and analysis on the ever-evolving digital landscape. Every Friday, we curate the best content from the Stratechery bundle, with highlighted links available to everyone. Remember, you’re in control of your inbox—if you’d rather not receive these updates, simply uncheck the box in your delivery settings [https://stratechery.passport.online/member/account/delivery].
Now, let’s dive into this week’s highlights, handpicked to spark your curiosity and challenge your thinking.
1. The Video Game Industry’s Identity Crisis: When Strengths Become Weaknesses
For decades, video games were the undisputed future of entertainment, outpacing every other medium in growth and revenue. But the last five years have painted a darker picture. The very elements that once made gaming irresistible—interactivity and immersion—are now turning into liabilities in the cutthroat attention economy. In my annual conversation with Matthew Ball, we explored this paradox in depth. What happens when the fight for attention becomes a zero-sum game? Listen to our interview [https://stratechery.com/2026/an-interview-with-matthew-ball-about-gaming-and-the-fight-for-attention/] to uncover the uncomfortable truths about an industry at a crossroads.
But here’s where it gets controversial: Is the decline of traditional gaming a natural evolution, or a symptom of a broader cultural shift toward shorter, more fragmented experiences? Are we losing something irreplaceable in the process? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
2. The NBA’s Structural Meltdown: Too Much Offense, Too Little Soul
As a lifelong NBA fan, it pains me to say this, but the league is in trouble. We’re not just reliving the mid-2000s Dark Ages—we’re in a new era of excess, where a bloated regular season and an overemphasis on offense have diluted the very essence of the game. In my latest piece for Sharp Text [https://sharptext.net/2026/the-nbas-problems-are-structural-cultural-and-fixable/], I break down the structural and cultural issues plaguing the NBA, from fixable problems to deeper challenges that may require time. And the big question: Is Commissioner Adam Silver the right leader to steer the league back on course? Or has his time passed?
And this is the part most people miss: The NBA’s struggles aren’t just about basketball—they’re a reflection of how modern sports leagues are failing to adapt to changing viewer habits. What do you think? Is the NBA’s decline inevitable, or can it reinvent itself?
3. Shopify’s AI Advantage: Why the E-Commerce Giant is Here to Stay
Amidst the doom and gloom of the so-called SaaSpocalypse, Ben’s Daily Update offered a refreshing take: Shopify isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving [https://stratechery.com/2026/shopify-earnings-shopifys-ai-advantages/]. On this week’s Sharp Tech [https://sharptech.fm/member/episode/the-roots-of-a-global-memory-shortage-thick-thin-and-apple-shopify-is-fine-actually], we dug deeper into Shopify’s unique value proposition and how it’s leveraging AI to stay ahead. From the shifting dynamics of e-commerce to the emergence of new business models, we explored why Shopify’s structural advantages aren’t just durable—they’re getting stronger.
But here’s a thought-provoking question: As AI reshapes e-commerce, will smaller players be able to compete, or will giants like Shopify dominate the landscape entirely? Share your predictions below.
Stratechery Articles and Updates
- Thin Is In [https://stratechery.com/2026/thin-is-in/] – Why thin clients are the future in an AI-driven world, and what it means for the devices we use every day.
- Shopify Earnings, Shopify’s AI Advantages [https://stratechery.com/2026/shopify-earnings-shopifys-ai-advantages/] – A deep dive into Shopify’s AI strategy and why investors should pay attention.
- An Interview with Matthew Ball About Gaming and the Fight for Attention [https://stratechery.com/2026/an-interview-with-matthew-ball-about-gaming-and-the-fight-for-attention/] – The full conversation on gaming’s identity crisis and the attention economy.
Sharp Text by Andrew Sharp
- The NBA’s Problems Are Structural, Cultural and Fixable [https://sharptext.net/2026/the-nbas-problems-are-structural-cultural-and-fixable/] – A comprehensive analysis of the NBA’s challenges and potential solutions.
Dithering with Ben Thompson and Daring Fireball’s John Gruber
- Back to the Future [https://dithering.passport.online/member/episode/back-to-the-future]
- Curling, F1, and Gambling [https://dithering.passport.online/member/episode/curling-f-1-and-gambling]
Asianometry with Jon Yu
- South Africa’s Ruined Synthetic Oil Giant [https://asianometry.passport.online/member/episode/south-africas-ruined-synthetic-oil-giant]
Greatest of All Talk with Andrew Sharp and WaPo’s Ben Golliver
- The Dunk Contest Preview America Needs, The Top Five Bandwagons for the Next Five Years, The NBA Fines the Jazz $500,000 [https://goat.passport.online/member/episode/the-dunk-contest-preview-america-needs-the-top-five-bandwagons-for-the-next-five-years-the-nba-fines-the-jazz-500-000]
- The All-Star Game Was a Delight, Harrowing Field Reporting from the Dunk Contest, KD Burners Rise from the Ashes [https://goat.passport.online/member/episode/the-all-star-game-was-a-delight-harrowing-field-reporting-from-the-dunk-contest-kd-burners-rise-from-the-ashes]
Sharp Tech with Andrew Sharp and Ben Thompson
- The Roots of a Global Memory Shortage, Thick, Thin and Apple, Shopify is Fine, Actually [https://sharptech.fm/member/episode/the-roots-of-a-global-memory-shortage-thick-thin-and-apple-shopify-is-fine-actually]
Don’t forget to check out this week’s Sharp Tech video, where we debunk Anthropic’s Super Bowl claims. Until next week, stay curious and keep questioning the status quo!
